Black Desert Mobile unleashes the Kurenai class today, dates its Calpheon Ball for December 15 - Black Desert Mobile has got a whole lot of news pouring out of it today. Whether it's the newly released patch that introduces a lady ninja using a hula hoop…
Black Desert opens a season server on mobile, adds new accessories to PC, buffs the Halloween boss on console - It's another week of things and stuff for Black Desert's three editions, and once more we're starting off with BDO Mobile as the headliner because it's now got a level-boosting…
Black Desert adds Halloween events to mobile, a spooky boss fight on console, and class updates to PC - The spookytimes are continuing to spread across Black Desert as both BDO Console and BDO Mobile players can enjoy their seasonal fun in this week's updates for the MMOs. We'll…
Perfect Ten: 2024’s MMO soundtrack themes ranked from worst to best - Try not to whip your head around all suspicious-like to check out the past 10 months, but 2024 has been a bonanza for MMO and online RPG releases. Sure, many…
Black Desert brings Halloween to PC, gives console players a guild manor, opens a guild promo chat on mobile - This week is once more full of goodies for Black Desert players of all stripes and platforms, with new events starting on PC, the guild manor coming to console, and…
Four Winds: Looking back at the early Throne and Liberty journey from the vantage of endgame - In the last edition of Four Winds, I found myself cautiously enjoying Throne and Liberty. The game had its hooks in me. I found an engaging game that's tailored to my particular taste…
Black Desert Mobile introduces the upcoming Awakened Kunoichi, new season server, and revamped main quest - There will be some pretty big things making their way to Black Desert Mobile in a couple of weeks' time as Pearl Abyss has outlined some new features and gameplay…
Massively Overthinking: How do you stop MMOs from feeling like (or becoming) a part-time job? - In last week's Choose My Adventure, MOP's Chris penned a perfect paragraph summing up the paradox of MMORPGs - it doesn't even matter what game he was talking about. "And…
Black Desert PC introduces the element-wielding Awakened Dosa in latest update - Sure, being able to magically weave fog is pretty cool, but what if you could weave five elements alternately in a fight? That's the choice being granted to Black Desert…
Black Desert launches Guild League PvP skirmish on mobile, previews the October 8 Dosa Awakening for PC - Black Desert has more than just a big drop for console players this week, as the mobile version of the sandbox MMO has gotten some new PvP content and the…
Black Desert Console releases the Dosa class and opens a season server with massive level boosts - At long last, players of Black Desert on console are getting more than a pet event and a video that vaguely promises improvements. The sandbox MMORPG has introduced a new…
Four Winds: Throne & Liberty’s opening hours were fun AF, but I’m still on my guard - After what feels like an absolute eternity, Throne and Liberty is finally here. In my younger, less jaded years, I'd feel excited and elated to have a new game from…
Massively Overthinking: Do you expect compensation for MMORPG trainwrecks? - Earlier this week, Blizzard admitted that a major bug had resulted in serious and permanent data loss for some World of Warcraft players, including the loss of millions of gold…
Black Desert changes clans to guilds on PC, makes several class adjustments on mobile - This week is a bit of a less intense one for Black Desert fans comparatively speaking, but there are still things of interest to note, particularly for players of the…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 485: EVE’s blockhead blockchain move - Justin and Bree discuss Black Desert, New World Aeternum, EVE Frontier, Nightingale, and Wayfinder, with adventures in WoW, LOTRO, and Guild Wars 2, plus mailbag topics on MMOs as spectator…
Black Desert’s latest expansion videos highlight an orchestra playing traditional Korean instruments - Black Desert's Land of the Morning Light: Seoul expansion landed last week, but Pearl Abyss is still cranking out new promotional videos - remember, the studio promised 10, though we…
Black Desert Console confirms next season server and Dosa class will arrive October 2 - If you're a player of Black Desert Console who has been feeling a little bit neglected, then Pearl Abyss would like to share a video message that hopes to assuage…
Massively Overthinking: When the big five MMORPGs have five big expansions in the same year - By the time you're reading this article, Black Desert's Land of the Morning Light Seoul has officially launched on PC, and it marks an important moment: All five of the…
Black Desert’s Land of the Morning Light: Seoul expansion has officially launched - Today's the day, Black Desert fans, at least if you're on PC: Pearl Abyss has officially launched the game's 2024 expansion, Land of the Morning Light: Seoul, the sequel to…
Black Desert adds new monster zones and new weapons to mobile, shares more Seoul video previews for PC - Usually when we put out the weekly Black Desert news bundle we start with the PC version of the game. This time around, however, BDO Mobile gets top billing thanks…
Black Desert has 10 videos on deck to usher in this week’s Land of the Morning Light: Seoul expansion – here’s the first - Pearl Abyss is gearing up for the biggest week of the year for MMORPG Black Desert as its expansion Land of the Morning Light: Seoul launches this Thursday, September 12th,…
Black Desert patches in Morning Light Seoul’s pre-quests on PC, launches collab with Berserk anime - Next week will be a big one for Black Desert on PC because that's when Land of the Morning Light's Seoul addition will launch. Even so, this week's update is…
Black Desert’s roadmap sets Land of the Morning Light Seoul expansion for September 12 - Well lookit Pearl Abyss, getting all fancy with its roadmap game. Yep, the Korean company has indeed dropped a new roadmap for Black Desert, although it's specific to September.[AL:BDO] The…
Black Desert Mobile launches the pre-season of its new guild vs guild survival arena mode - It's time for guild members in Black Desert Mobile to be dropped into an arena and told to survive. The Azunak Arena mode is now available in the mobile MMO…
Black Desert brings Seoul to PC September 12, tweaks boats on console, adds treasure material exchange on mobile - This week has certainly been a busy one for games all over the place (spare a thought for Bree and send her tea and cozy plushies) and that's certainly no…
Choose My Adventure: Fractured Online starts off unremarkably but comfortably - I always start off with a lot of concern whenever I enter a sandbox MMORPG for Choose My Adventure. Mostly because these games are almost always murder blenders and having…
Massively Overthinking: Do the little things make or break an MMORPG? - Earlier this year, I did a video showcasing Star Wars Galaxies Legends player city overhaul, and in it, I admitted to something silly: A minor inventory change to player droids…
Black Desert readies a special PvP tournament for PC, expands merchantry for mobile - You would think that those who already climbed to the top 100 in the rankings of Black Desert's Arena of Solare would have nothing to prove, but those players are…
Pearl Abyss America CEO steps down for ‘a new career challenge’ after six years - The very tippy top of the organizational structure at Black Desert and EVE Online company Pearl Abyss America is changing: Jeonghee "JJ" Jin, who has led Pearl Abyss' American office…
Pearl Abyss Q2 2024: Equinox bolstered EVE Online revenues as Crimson Desert waits in the wings - The dog days of August bring a whole deck of financial results for companies - including MMO companies like Pearl Abyss. The Korean gaming giant's Q2 2024 report shows a…
Black Desert launches the Mountain of Eternal Winter expansion on console today - Console Black Desert players are capping off their summer with some winter - Mountain of Eternal Winter, that is. The console version of the expansion is live today on PlayStation…
Pearl Abyss shows off Black Desert’s eye candy during the Paris Olympics - Since all eyes are on Paris this summer during the 2024 Olympics, Pearl Abyss is taking advantage of the increased foot traffic in the city to showcase one of its…
Black Desert Mobile unveils Dosa class, summer season server, and new game modes at Heidel Ball - This past weekend saw a Heidel Ball presentation premiere for Black Desert Mobile, and as fans might expect, there were a few reveals for the game's immediate future, headlined by…
Black Desert readies new Dosa skills on PC, adds alpaca mounts on console, changes item acquisition on mobile - It's time for another week of updates to Black Desert, and this week we're going to begin with the console version's patch, primarily because it has made the most important…
Black Desert Console confirms Mountain of Eternal Winter’s August 7 arrival… in a cash shop video - Just because it will be August soon doesn't mean you can't experience winter, or at least that will be the case for Black Desert Console players. That's because the Mountain…
Black Desert brings Jordine Saga and major class balancing to console, adds guild history UI to mobile - While many Black Desert players might be engaged in the large scale War of the Roses PvP instance on PC, this week has also brought some new things for players…
From castles to conservation to content, I had a ball at Black Desert’s Heidel Ball 2024 - It may have been a bit since the end of Pearl Abyss' Heidel Ball 2024, celebrating 10 years of Black Desert Online, but it's not really over for me. I'm…
Black Desert’s 300v300 War of the Roses elite PvP battleground begins this week - If mass PvP is your jam, Black Desert has some violent delights for you in the form of War of the Roses, live on PC today ahead of the season…
Black Desert’s latest class, the mist-warrior Dosa, is live in today’s PC update - If you peeped any of the news coming out of Pearl Abyss' Black Desert Heidel Ball extravaganza in Beynac-et-Cazenac a few weeks back, you had an inkling about today's launch…
The Stream Team: Touring Heidel in Black Desert and real life - [AL:BDO]Like many others, Massively OP's MJ was fascinated to learn that one of the best-known cities in Black Desert Online was actually based on a real village in France. Then…
Black Desert Mobile schedules its own Heidel Ball presentation on July 27 - Sure, we've already had a Heidel Ball presentation for the PC and console versions of Black Desert (and make sure you check out our coverage and some of the sights),…
This year’s Steam Summer Sale brings another collection of bargains for MMORPG fans - It's Christmas in summertime once again, otherwise known to gamers as the Steam Summer Sale, and we're happy to report that there are some pretty tasty bargains on offer for…
Heidel Ball 2024: The streets of the real Heidel of Black Desert - [AL:BDO]Have you ever wandered around an interesting or beautiful area in a game and wished that you could traverse such a locale in real life? I have! So when Pearl…
Black Desert revamps quests on PC, unites gathering tools on console, and increases rewards on mobile - That's right, Black Desert has once again got a bundle of new things for players across all of its platforms, and it looks as if this time around, these additions…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 474: Taking Tarisland to task - Justin and Bree discuss Tarisland's launch, Pax Dei's early access, Throne and Liberty's launch plans, LOTRO's new legendary servers, Raph Koster's mystery MMORPG, and Black Desert's Heidel Ball, with a…
Heidel Ball 2024: Black Desert is adding Seoul and the Dosa class, then going to the past - Given that Black Desert Online is celebrating its 10th anniversary with an event in the very town that inspired the game's first city (Heidel), you'd expect things to be special…
Here’s how to watch the keynote for Black Desert’s Heidel Ball in a French castle this weekend - In case you have somehow missed in over the last few weeks of mentioning it, Black Desert is holding its summer community spectacle this weekend, and it's doing so in…
Black Desert plans Heidel Ball watch party, deploys major combat and stat system update - This weekend is a big one for Black Desert, as Pearl Abyss is hosting Heidel Ball both inside and outside the game, and the outside is pretty damn spectacular this…
Black Desert’s 2024 Heidel Ball takes over a real-world castle in France on June 22 - The Heidel Ball presentation event has always been a big deal for Black Desert, and the 2024 edition of the affair is doing things up big indeed. How, you might…
Black Desert adds lifeskill gear upgrades while the mobile version gets a new region - For players of Black Desert Mobile, today's update is going to provide a whole lot of fun stuff within the new Donghae Province. Are there monsters to fight there? Yes.…
Black Desert simplifies gathering and fishing on PC, brings a plant centaur boss fight to mobile - If you're all about those life skills in Black Desert on PC, or if you've never thought to try them out, then you're likely going to be interested this week's…
Black Desert splashes out for its 10th birthday with a visual history of development and community fun - Black Desert is fond of celebrating its more unusual birthdays - like its 3000th day - so the 10-year anniversary coming up in December of this year might seem a…
Black Desert refines ship gear enhancement for PC, tweaks monster zones on console, and adds a pirate island on mobile - We're once again in a new week for Black Desert, which means that all three versions of the MMORPG have gotten a little something new. Or in the case of…
Black Desert revamps Node Wars and ports the North American servers today - Black Desert's promised Node Wars revamp is upon us this week even as the North American servers are on a journey to a new home in the central US. First,…
Black Desert Mobile gets the Askeia class today as PC preps for six-hour server move downtime - Black Desert is busy this week, starting with the launch of the Askeia class in the mobile version of the game. Askeia is essentially BDO Mobile's take on the Mystic…
Black Desert PC opens the Trial of Erethea instance and adjusts several monster zones - Yesterday when Pearl Abyss was talking up Black Desert's its 3,000-day milestone in the west, it brought up the Trial of Erethea and a big tasty ring accessory for players…
Perfect Ten: MMORPGs as fast food joints - Sometimes you go out to eat because you want something that's difficult to make on your own or just involves techniques you are unfamiliar with. Sometimes you go out to…
Black Desert celebrates 3000 days in the west with freebies, PvP teases, and endgame rings - Pearl Abyss is fond of celebrating odd milestones for Black Desert, but it sure beats a basic anniversary. Today, the company is touting the game's 3000th day of global service…
Pearl Abyss Q1 2024: Revenues hold steady as Crimson Desert gears up for reveals - Pearl Abyss makes its English financials website a bit of a navigation nightmare, but the company's Q1 2024 earnings presentation is indeed up - which is more than we can…
Black Desert will relocate NA PC servers May 22, opens North Kamasylvia region on mobile - There's some potentially good news for NA players of Black Desert on PC this week: After some testing and preparation, the MMORPG's NA servers will be physically relocated on Wednesday,…
Massively Overthinking: The loss of ArcheAge - Last week's admission from Kakao that XLGAMES is pulling the plug on ArcheAge really hit me, and I'm still trying to process why because it was not one of my…
Black Desert cancels plans to kill off the old menu, aims to boost silver value - I think today's header pic for Black Desert deserves captioning; that's definitely what I look like pouring way too much salt into the stew while my son stands by sketching…
Black Desert makes life skill benefits account-wide in today’s PC update - In case you haven't noticed, Pearl Abyss is on a massive campaign this quarter to improve the public's perception of Black Desert with one quality-of-life upgrade after another, chiefly to…
Black Desert just overhauled its gear enhancement system with a major QOL addition, the Ancient Anvil - Black Desert is continuing to bolster its gearing enhancement system, this week with the new Ancient Anvil upgrade live today, meant to improve players' quality-of-life by taking the sting out…
Black Desert PC expands its music instrument feature to all classes, Black Desert Mobile adds new gear - Were you excited by the prospect of playing an instrument in Black Desert but bummed that the feature was limited to the Shai class? Then you might be delighted to…
Black Desert gives away a crafting hammer for easier item enhancement to PC and console players - Can there be an "I win" button for item enhancement? There is one now available for a limited time in the PC and console versions of Black Desert thanks to…
Black Desert Mobile kicks off a return campaign with a special catch-up server and boosting events - Has it been a dog's age since you peered into Black Desert Mobile? Are you a bit gun shy about coming back because there's a lot of leveling and progression…
Black Desert offers a first look at new areas and features of Land of the Morning Light’s Seoul - The Land of the Morning Light in Black Desert will soon throw its... uh, morning light across a new area, as Pearl Abyss has provided another peek at the Seoul…
Black Desert removes boss scrolls on PC, tweaks classes on console, and revamps a guild feature for mobile - While this week's patch content across all three editions of Black Desert might not be as ground-shaking as adding a new class or celebrating an anniversary, there's still quite a…
Black Desert shares eight years of memories and moments in a snuggly video package - "Let's reflect on the journey we have taken," suggests a new video from Black Desert, which aims to keep the MMORPG's eight year anniversary celebration going by condensing some of…
Black Desert hands out buff-increasing pie for Pi Day and the whole weekend - Whether or not you celebrated Pi (π) Day yesterday on March 14th, you can grab a slice of your favorite delicacy -- cherry or pumpkin is the author's favorite --…
Black Desert Mobile launches the Drakania awakening as PC continues faction PvP balancing - Black Desert continues its frenzied pace of updating this week across its multiple versions. Let's begin with the splashiest: In Black Desert Mobile, the Drakania awakening is live in what…
Black Desert launches the Scholar on console as it celebrates four years of crossplay - Now listen, I've been married to a real-life scholar for a long time, and the only hammer I've ever seen him pick up is the kind that goes along with…
The Stream Team: Celebrating Black Desert Online’s 8th birthday - [AL:BDO]Time sure flies! Massively OP's MJ remembers way back when Black Desert Online first came out and all the fun she had exploring the new game. Over the years, there…
Black Desert celebrates 55M registered players and €2B revenue since 2014 - It's not every day that we get hard numbers out of MMORPG studios, but Pearl Abyss has brought some big ones for Black Desert today. "Korean developer and publisher Pearl…
Black Desert makes class adjustments on PC, changes accessory upgrades on console, revamps mobile instances - Black Desert doesn't appear to be resting on its laurels despite the game celebrating 3,333 days of life, as every version of the MMORPG has seen something new and pretty…
Desert Oasis: Black Desert has grown so much in its 3333 days of life - Black Desert is celebrating 3333 days of operation today. That's a little over nine years, with plenty more in store. The Scholar class just released, there's a whole new region,…
Pearl Abyss Q4 2023: Well at least EVE Online had a good financial year - Pearl Abyss, best known to MMO fans for Black Desert and CCP Games' EVE Online, has continued its humdrum financial performance in Q4 2023, with overall revenues of 84.4B KRW…
Black Desert celebrates anniversaries and Valentine’s Day on PC and console, applies minor updates on mobile - It's a season of celebration in the console and PC versions of Black Desert this week, as both MMORPGs are marking some specific anniversaries and the wider Valentine's Day holiday.…
Black Desert talks up 300v300 War of the Roses PvP and today’s 15v15 Guild League - Black Desert is taking a page out of EVE Online's playbook and promoting its mass-PvP systems - specifically, the War of the Roses pre-season event that ran last weekend, followed…
Massively Overthinking: Do you care more about MMO stats or looks? - This week's Massively Overthinking is fully inspired by the unicorn backpack meme, which Black Desert studio Pearl Abyss tweeted out last week with the caption "stats over looks any day."…
Black Desert PC launches new Yzrahid Highlands monster zone, new costume, and lifeskill QOL - Black Desert PC fans, prepare your endgame toons and your closets because Pearl Abyss has content for both this week.[AL:BDO] "Seasoned adventurers will be pleased to learn they can hunt…
Black Desert improves Magnus travel on PC, combines elixirs on console, expands Kamasylvia on mobile - It's another update-rich week for every version of Black Desert as all three editions of the title have adjustments, improvements, tweaks, and other pseudonyms that communicate that things are different…
Massively Overthinking: The slowest and fastest combat in MMORPGs - During a recent podcast discussion about City of Heroes' official revival, the MOP writers were talking about its combat, which - let's be honest - harkens back to a long-ago…
Black Desert Mobile celebrates 1500th day with gift code as PC preps for Lunar New Year - Counting the days and not the years sounds like a weird thing to do until you get to a big number like 1500 - and that's exactly what Pearl Abyss…
Black Desert hands out powerful items and horses on console, adds more skills to Scholars on PC - There was a lot going on in last week's Black Desert Console, but just in case it slipped your notice, console players of the sandbox MMORPG are able to get…
Black Desert tweaks the Scholar on PC and opens the Calpheon Elvia realm on console - Black Desert on PC has applied some class adjustments in this week's patch. That's probably not news considering this sort of thing happens in every patch, but we're leading off…
Black Desert lead devs share well-wishes and coupon codes with players to mark the new year - The beginning of 2024 is being looked ahead by lead devs of Pearl Abyss, as Black Desert on PC and console and Black Desert Mobile are showering their fans with…
Massively Overthinking: Our MMO resolutions for 2024 - Stop right there. I know you're about to object and say that you don't do resolutions, let alone MMO resolutions. That's fine. A lot of us don't do resolutions either.…
Black Desert PC launches the Scholar, opens a new season server, and hands out powerful ponies - There's a mighty update waiting in the PC version of Black Desert this week, arriving with all of the impact of a hammer strike, which makes sense because the new…
End-of-Year Eleven: The best MMO expansions and updates of 2023 - If you want to look at the overall health of the MMORPG industry, one vital heartbeat that must not be missed is continual development. Sometimes, even, a fancy patch or…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 450: Sour cream in caves - Justin and Bree discuss Elder Scrolls Online, The Crew's sunset, Palia's Switch launch, Black Desert and New World's 2024 plans, Age of Water, and the Year of EverQuest, with adventures…
Black Desert teases work on a ‘next-gen build’ on console and readies succession skills for mobile - Much of the big news out of Black Desert's Calpheon Ball was about the PC version of the MMORPG - there's the launch of the Scholar class this week, a…
Black Desert reveals new classes, new Land of the Morning Light region, and gameplay adjustments - This year's Calpheon Ball event for Black Desert promised to be another showcase full of reveals, and it most definitely delivered as Pearl Abyss introduced a new region in the…
Massively Overthinking: Our MMO predictions for 2024 - It's time once again for the MOP staff and readers to engage in our favorite end-of-the-year MMO: collectively guessing what's going to happen next year. Yes, this Massively Overthinking will…
Working As Intended: The hits and misses of our 2023 MMO predictions - We've been offering up an MMO predictions list for Massively Overthinking for years upon years now as our writers and readers prognosticate on the future (and also take some wild…
Black Desert marks four years on mobile with events and giveaways, opens an FFA PvP server on PC - It's a happy fourth birthday for Black Desert Mobile, but as usual the players are the ones getting the cake and presents, as the mobile MMORPG is bursting with videos,…
End-of-year Eleven: The healthiest live MMOs at the end of 2023 - When it comes to making a judgment call about the "healthiest" MMORPGs on the market at any given time, there are always plenty of rebuttals on hand to denounce such…
Black Desert opens the Ulukita region on PC and refines the Great Desert feature on mobile - Residents of the PC version of Black Desert appear to be suffering from a case of missing royalty, and it's up to players (naturally) to fix it. This is the…
Black Desert PC announces Thanksgiving event this week, Ulutika update next week - Black Desert has dropped a tantalizing teaser for after Thanksgiving: Pearl Abyss is launching its Ulutika update for PC players on November 29th, preceded by a big holiday push tomorrow.…
Black Desert PC kicks off first round of adjustments to skill balance - You figure that when you see a patch arrive with a 37-point table of contents, it's probably a pretty big deal. Black Desert received such an update this past week,…
Black Desert sets the 2023 Calpheon Ball showcase for December 16 and 17 - It's the most wonderful time of the year for Black Desert fans across the sandbox MMORPG's three different platforms, as Pearl Abyss has tied down the dates for its 2023…
Pearl Abyss Q3 2023: Black Desert’s Land of the Morning Light pulled PA out of its slump - MOP readers might recall that three months ago, the news for Pearl Abyss was looking a bit on the grim side, as the Korean gaming company's financial report for Q2…
Black Desert tweaks gathering material drops and makes more guild juice for PC, unleashes the Bamboo Legion on mobile - When you've completed tasks for your guild in Black Desert, you just want to cool off and quench your thirst with a tall glass of guild juice (probably), but that…
Black Desert PC just heavily overhauled alchemy, mats, and prices - Yet another MMORPG is getting a major alchemy upgrade this week: Black Desert has overhauled its alchemy lifeskill with today's update.[AL:BDO] "Today's update brought an increase to the supply of…
Black Desert Online brings new currents and disembarking to ocean voyages - The first sea adventure you have in Black Desert Online you're enthusiastically staring at the mainsail once you confirm that's what the big one is, climbing the riggings, and singing sea…
Massively Overthinking: Are there any MMOs for which a spin-off mode would be welcome? - Pantheon's announcement that its developers are working on spinning out a monetized "247" extraction mode hasn't engendered a whole lot of hope for the future of the Kickstarted game, though…
Black Desert Mobile sets the Maegu on fire and kicks off its Tax Wagon event this week - Black Desert Mobile expands again this week as the Maegu awakening ports over to mobile devices. "Adventurers can channel her ethereal powers of the Fox Goddess to turn Maegu into…
Black Desert plots three spooky Halloween events for its console, PC, and mobile editions - Halloween begins to arrive in Black Desert today - in three different ways across its multiple global versions. "Starting this week, Pearl Abyss hosts a hauntingly horrific Black Desert makeover…
Black Desert Console receives three mythical horses and the Awakened Maegu in latest patch - Usually the middle of the week sees Black Desert absolutely bursting at the seams with news, but the PC version is quiet this time around on account of the Chuseok…
Massively Overthinking: The impact of jump start servers in MMOs - With Chris' Choose My Adventure run on Lost Ark - specifically, on its jump-start servers - coming to a close, I thought it would be fun to reflect on the…
Black Desert PC makes PvE-focused class tweaks, applies conquest war QoL, and fights sweets-stealing bears - It's quite a week in the PC version of Black Desert, as the game's latest update has made another wide assortment of changes to the sandbox MMORPG that really can…
The Land of the Morning Light expansion arrives to Black Desert Mobile today - Let the sunshine in. Or perhaps it's better to say let the land of sunshine that's still full of mythical monsters and other dark things in. However you care to…
Black Desert Mobile hypes Land of the Morning Light launch with previews of bosses, zones, and its next class - Black Desert Mobile players likely already know that the Land of the Morning Light is coming to the MMO tomorrow, September 26th, but that hasn't stopped Pearl Abyss from rolling…
Black Desert shares details of its upcoming War of the Roses PvP mode in new video - War is coming to Black Desert, or perhaps more accurately, more war is coming to the MMORPG in the form of the 300v300 War of the Roses mode, which is…
Massively Overthinking: Massively Overwhelming content in MMORPGs - This past weekend, I picked up my first premium house in Lord of the Rings Online after much hemming and hawing. I didn't expect much out of it; surely it'd…
Black Desert makes season servers permanent, launches Land of the Morning Light on mobile next week - It's Wednesday, so you know what that means: a deluge of news from Pearl Abyss' Black Desert. First, the mobile version of the game announced a hard date for the launch…
Black Desert PC’s season server will become a permanent fixture on September 20 - If you're the sort of person who always misses the boat when the PC version of Black Desert opens a seasonal server (i.e., you're me), then next week has some…
Black Desert PC ends one-sided guild wardecs, tinkers with Great Ocean content - Black Desert PC's latest update clocks in at over 1GB, so you know it's worth your while - especially if you're a guild PvPer. That's because this week's release finally…
Black Desert PC raises item costs to counter inflation, dates guild war adjustments, and adds spooky ships - A whole lot of stuff is once again happening in the PC version of Black Desert, and I'm not feeling clever enough to try and tie them all together in…
PSA: PlayStation Plus subscribers can nab a free copy of Black Desert’s traveler edition starting today - Looking for a new MMORPG to play on your PlayStation console? Are you a subscriber to the PlayStation Plus service? Then you're being directly served by Pearl Abyss, as Black…
Black Desert PC changes Sea Palace activities, adjusts classes, and bids summer farewell with new events - While we're only entering the month of September and the weather mostly disagrees with the notion on our portion of the globe, the summer season is indeed drawing to a…
Black Desert Mobile gets Land of the Morning Light in September, opens season characters today - The Heidel Ball presentation for Black Desert Mobile had some big reveals for fans of the mobile MMO over the weekend, as Tuesday, September 26th, will introduce the Land of…
Black Desert opens a new hunting ground on PC, begins summer graduation on console, adds a new Great Desert area on mobile - As if this week weren't already packed with MMORPG things, allow Black Desert to throw on a whole bunch more, with every edition of the sandbox title piling on some…
Black Desert Console delays Maegu awakening and more to focus on game optimization - If you're a player of Black Desert Console hoping to park your character's keister on a mythical horse sometime soon, we've got some unfortunate news for you: A recent GM…
Black Desert tweaks Marni’s Realm on PC, plans early end to an event on console, opens new area on mobile - We're back with yet another bundle of Black Desert for everybody because all three versions of the sandbox MMORPG have a little something different going on. This should not be…
Pearl Abyss’ Crimson Desert gears up for a fresh unveiling at Gamescom 2023 - When covering Pearl Abyss's recent investor call, we expressed worry about the hedging the studio engaged in with analysts when it came to the long-delayed release of Crimson Desert, the…
Perfect Ten: 10 MMORPGs whose worlds were built from scratch - Maybe I'm the only one to have stopped to think about it, but a great deal of the MMOs that we enjoy are based on some sort of previously established…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 433: Throne & Delay - Justin and Bree discuss Throne & Liberty's delay, WoW's upcoming patch, DDO's mini-expansion, and financial reports for NCsoft, Pearl Abyss, and Square-Enix, with adventures in Palia, LOTRO, New World, and…
Pearl Abyss Q2 2023: EVE surges, Black Desert stumbles, Crimson Desert hedges - August is a month of quarterly financials, and the season hasn't been kind to the type of MMO company that publishes its numbers. So it goes too with Pearl Abyss,…
Black Desert Mobile releases the Wizard as console adds Imoogi serpent boss - Black Desert's console and mobile versions are rolling out big updates today. For starters, the mobile edition has welcomed the Wizard, who "bombards his enemies with deadly elemental powers, making…
Pearl Abyss grants users of a gamer-centric finance service free copies of Black Desert - We're pretty sure that nobody had Pearl Abyss clapping hands with a gamer-focused financial service provider on the radar - heck, we're not even sure anyone was aware that a…
Black Desert PC opens summertime Sea Palace, improves monster zone loot, and adds more furnishings - What better place to spend the summertime is there than in a grandiose palace beneath the ocean? Don't answer that question; just hop into Black Desert on PC and enjoy…
Black Desert KR shares plans for hunting ground PvP adjustments designed to ease ‘one-sided suffering’ - While there is plenty of instanced PvP to be had in Black Desert nowadays, there's also open world PvP in the game as well, especially in the hunting grounds, where…
Black Desert’s Land of the Morning Light finally arrives on console today - Black Desert console players are in for another treat today as Land of the Morning Light, already out on PC, has now come knocking on their the door of the…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 430: A very Diablo drubbing - Justin, Bree, and Carlo discuss Blizzard's bizarre financial report, Diablo IV's messy first season, Palia's early access, and Wayfinder's early access, with adventures in LOTRO, Elder Scrolls Online, Diablo II,…
Black Desert adds a doom horse on PC, hypes Land of the Morning Light on console, and opens a new labyrinth on mobile - Black Desert has once more blessed your week with news for every version of the sandbox MMORPG. Unless you don't consider news about this MMORPG a blessing, in which case,…
Black Desert adds furnishings on PC, opens summer server for console, and talks up the player surge - It looks as if there's a little something for everyone across every version of Black Desert, whether it's access to stylish furniture, the opening of a summer season server, or…
Black Desert’s exec producer says expansion’s response was ‘beyond what [Pearl Abyss] could have hoped for’ - While truly well-made and -rounded expansions are an uncommon sight in the MMO genre, rarer still is the development team that enthusiastically thanks players for embracing the content with gusto.…
Black Desert PC adds the Awakened Maegu and the sea dragon Imoogi, dates July and August content releases - It is now time for Maegu players of Black Desert on PC to bring fans to a sword fight. The Maegu class has received her Awakening in today's patch, granting…
Black Desert FESTA unveils Maegu’s Awakening, 300v300 battleground, new region, and much more - Early this morning saw Black Desert unveil a whole slew of content plans for the MMORPG during its live Black Desert FESTA event, including the game's next Awakening, new regions,…
Black Desert Console closes the spring seasonal server and makes multiple class adjustments - We are well in to the summer months in meteorological terms, but the console edition of Black Desert has just closed the spring seasonal server with its latest update, as…
Steam’s Summer Sale 2023 is live through July 13 with deals on FFXIV, GW2, New World, ESO, and more - Valve has revived the traditional Steam summer sale this afternoon, with gobs of good deals running well beyond the 4th of July. Perhaps the most notable promo right now is…
Black Desert Mobile adds the Guardian class and opens the Everfrost region - The latest content patch for Black Desert Mobile is for all of the battle axe enjoyers out there. We know you're out there. We see you. And Pearl Abyss sees…
Black Desert counts 50M players across all platforms ahead of its FESTA event - Pearl Abyss is taking a moment to celebrate after the launch of Black Desert's Land of the Morning Light with the game's new anniversary event. Players - and there are…
Vague Patch Notes: Examining the MMO tiers, from the Big Five to maintenance mode - I've mentioned many a time that one of the ideas behind the Vague Patch Notes column here on MOP is to have a place where we can reference back when…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 426: Axing Anarchy’s ARK and doubling down on Diablo IV - Justin, Bree, and Carlo discuss LOTRO's summer content, the end of Anarchy Online's volunteer program, Black Desert's Land of the Morning Light, and Star Citizen's crowdfunding, plus adventures in Diablo…
Black Desert Mobile is finally getting parts of Mountain of Eternal Winter June 27 - Just in case you thought Black Desert couldn't win the week any harder, Pearl Abyss has dropped yet another trailer for the game - this time to announce and expansion…
Desert Oasis: Black Desert’s Land of the Morning Light design makes perfect practical and aesthetic sense - In the last edition of Desert Oasis, I barely scratched the surface of Black Desert's Land of the Morning Light expansion. I've still got so much to say about the…
Desert Oasis: First impressions of Black Desert’s Land of the Morning Light - Long-time Black Desert players know about a little town on the northwest corner of the map. It's the city of Port Ratt, and for years, it's been a pretty neat…
Black Desert’s Land of the Morning Light expansion officially launches today - It's launch day for Black Desert's massive Land of the Morning Light expansion. "Land of the Morning Light invites players to a new region inspired by the Joseon period, Korea’s…
Black Desert shares an ink wash painting inspired by its upcoming Land of the Morning Light release - Black Desert is continuing to get creative in the marketing for Land of the Morning Light's arrival later this week, and this time the game is once again tapping into…
Perfect Ten: MMORPGs as Jell-O flavors - During last year's April Fools' Day, I wrote about the important topic of MMO NPCs as muffins. At the time, I felt my work complete, but then a conversation in…
Pearl Abyss announces Black Desert FESTA event for July 1 in South Korea - Black Desert is having a helluva June: It's already launched the Awakened Woosa, the Maegu awakening is on the way, and then Land of the Morning Light is set to…
Summer Game Fest 2023: Throne & Liberty, Path of Exile 2, Black Desert, Wayfinder, Fae Farm - We're updating at the end of this post with all the big MMO news! Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest arrives today, marking the closest thing to E3 we're gonna get…
Black Desert makes final preparations for Land of the Morning Light as Mobile announces Mountain of Eternal Winter - With less than a week to go until Land of the Morning Light opens for Black Desert PC fans, the game is a flurry of final preparations, promos, and patches.…
Black Desert shows off Land of the Morning Light’s locations and boss battles in latest videos - Pearl Abyss continues to roll out the video footage for Black Desert's upcoming Land of the Morning Light expansion, this time showcasing a pair of vignettes about the expansion's locations…
Four Winds: Swords of Legends Online was a wasted opportunity - MMOs are hard to make. But despite the difficulties, we've seen some real gems over the years. They're also difficult to run. But the exemplars of the genre prove that…
Black Desert PC releases the Awakened Woosa today, plans Awakened Maegu for June - The awakening has come for another one of Black Desert's classes, as today's new update for the PC version sees the Awakened Woosa class as the headlining feature. This new…
Black Desert showcases the Awakened Woosa and Maegu classes in new videos - Now that we have a hard calendar release date for Black Desert's Land of the Morning Light expansion here in the west, Pearl Abyss has decided to keep the trailers…
Black Desert’s Land of the Morning Light expansion launches in the west on June 14 - [AL:BDO]Finally, we've got a hard date for Black Desert's Land of the Morning Light expansion: It's rolling out to the west on June 14th. As we've been covering since the…
Black Desert drops a boss trailer for June’s Land of the Morning Light expansion - Pearl Abyss is pushing onward toward its June launch for Black Desert's Land of the Morning Light: The latest is a brief trailer zipping through some of the bosses on…
Massively Overthinking: What’s your monthly MMO budget? - Unless you are fabulously wealthy, you probably maintain some sort of budget for your discretionary expenses, and if MMOs had their way, they'd claim all of it. You'd be spending…
Pearl Abyss Q1 2023: Black Desert and EVE Online revenues continue to decline - Pearl Abyss' flurry of promotion and trailer drops this week might have been an early clue that its Q1 wasn't looking so hot, and that does indeed turn out to…
Black Desert’s Land of the Morning Light expansion will launch in June – here’s the new trailer - [AL:BDO]Just yesterday, we noted that while we knew Black Desert's Land of the Morning Light was still on the way, we still didn't have a hard date for its launch.…
Korea Tourism Board uses Black Desert’s upcoming Land of the Morning Light as ad campaign theme - We all know that Black Desert is a Korean MMORPG. We also know that the Land of the Morning Light update is on its way to our shores sometime soon.…
Black Desert studio Pearl Abyss on DokeV’s ambitions and market diversification - On this week's MOP Podcast, we happened to mention that Crimson Desert is several years delayed at this point, so it's rather convenient that Pearl Abyss brings it up in…
Black Desert ends PC spring server May 10, tweaks console classes, and adds new party rush on mobile - If that headline didn't clue you in, this week has seen yet another bundle of updates for every single edition of Black Desert, so let's get started first with the…
Desert Oasis: Returning home to Black Desert Online - Back in October of 2020, I penned a column about the worst week I’ve ever had in Black Desert. The series of unfortunate events necessitated a break; it ultimately burnt…
Black Desert revamps the trading lifeskill for its console edition - The virtual economy is the lifeblood of sandboxes like Black Desert, so when Pearl Abyss puts a trading skill revamp front and center in a console patch, we can assume…
Black Desert PC makes a long list of improvements to the Archer class and ramps up treasure drops - If you play the Archer in Black Desert on PC, then this newest patch is pretty much just for you, as it introduces a significant number of updates and adjustments…
Black Desert PC makes further tweaks to trade, Black Desert Mobile adds umbral chaos gear - It's time yet again for another bundle of Black Desert news coming out of the PC and mobile versions of the MMORPG, with the former continuing to make adjustments to…
Massively Overthinking: How to alienate your MMORPG playerbase - I am not a Pokemon Go player, but I can't help but stare at its many trainwrecks thanks to the detailed coverage of our Massively on the Go columnist Andrew.…
Black Desert brings the Maegu class and spring season servers to console, refines the trading life skill on PC - It's time to get foxy in the console version of Black Desert as this week's patch has introduced the Maegu class and all of its spicy fox magic that PC…
Black Desert: PC tweaks the Maegu, console preps for her arrival, and mobile launches the Igneous - Pearl Abyss is having a busy week in all corners of Black Desert. Here's what players on PC, console, and mobile can expect out of the recent patches. Black Desert…
Ship of Heroes’ arrival on Steam is imminent as Heroic is still planning launch in 2023 - Earlier this year, we noted that superhero MMORPG Ship of Heroes was eyeing an arrival on Steam, and as of today, it's finally happening. Or at least, is about to happen;…
Black Desert brings more materials to PC, changes Wizard’s model on console, preps a US in-person event - This week brings more goodies to multiple versions of Black Desert, but perhaps more interestingly are extra details for an next in-person event that were shared last week. CMs and…
Black Desert PC starts the seventh anniversary afterparty and makes PvE tweaks to some of its classes - There has been a whole lot of seventh anniversary celebration going on in the PC version of Black Desert, but this week is seeing things wind down just a little…
Black Desert Mobile introduces the upcoming water and fire-wielding Igneous class - Mages are awesome. Mages that wield multiple elements are awesome. Mages that are able to control two opposing elements at once are awesome. So by that logic, the upcoming new…
Black Desert PC confirms Morning Light’s March launch in Korea, preps a ‘gateway’ area for the expansion - Ever since the Land of the Morning Light expansion was first revealed during last year's Calpheon Ball, many players of Black Desert on PC have been itching to know when…
The Stream Team: Black Desert celebrates seven years - [AL:BDO]Black Desert Online is celebrating seven years! (And it has revamped itself almost as many times!) Massively OP's MJ may not play regularly, but she can't help drifting back to…
Black Desert console starts a new Node War season, Black Desert PC is free to claim until March 9 - We're back with another mid-week news dump from Black Desert, this time featuring updates and headlines from the console and PC editions of the sandbox MMORPG, so let's hop to…
Black Desert Mobile launches on a whole bunch of new Mac devices today - Black Desert is expanding to new platforms this year: Pearl Abyss has just announced that Black Desert Mobile will roll out to Mac - today. The game is of course…
Black Desert PC confirms its spring season server for February 28, updates the Wizard’s model, and begins celebrating seven years - The seasons continue to turn in the PC version of Black Desert, or more specifically the season servers continue to cycle around through the year. The sandbox MMORPG has confirmed…
Massively Overthinking: The MMO characters we want to love but don’t - A few weeks ago, MOP reader Neurotic pinged the MOP Podcast with a question about characters we want to love but just don't. He had found that in spite of…
Black Desert celebrates seven years on PC and four on console with giveaways and bonuses - It's birthday season for Black Desert, as Pearl Abyss is celebrating its "milestone anniversaries" for the PC and console versions of the game over the next month. Here are the…
Massively Overthinking: What’s the ideal content cadence for an MMORPG in 2023? - Earlier this week, Guild Wars 2 revealed a major shake-up of its content delivery cadence. Studio ArenaNet suggested that the traditional living world cadence - with an expansion coming far…
Pearl Abyss Q4 2022: Revenues decline as Black Desert and EVE hold steady and Crimson Desert malingers - Pearl Abyss posted its Q4 2022 financials this week, and unlike some of its regional counterparts whose chief interest is China or South Korea, PA demonstrates again that its heart…
Black Desert adds individual war rewards for console and kicks off Adventure Week on PC - Ideally, the time players spend in Black Desert on PC is already full of adventure, but that's not stopping the game from hosting an event that's all about adventure. It's…
Black Desert Mobile introduces Zayed, its upcoming Awakened Hashashin class - Regular players of Black Desert know that the game's classes come in two forms: their regular version and the Awakened version. For players of Black Desert Mobile, there's going to…
Black Desert’s Valentine’s Day events have arrived ahead of the MMO’s 7th birthday - Valentine's Day has returned to the PC version of Black Desert this week as part of a marketing push that also heralds a major revamp to the game's PvP node…
Black Desert merges silver storage on console, adds individual war rewards for PC, tweaks Bell of Aal on mobile - This week has once more seen all three variants of Black Desert get their own individual updates, which means another three paragraphs of condensed information. It's like condensed milk, but…
Black Desert adjusts crystal transfusion and Node War for console, releases the Maegu class to PC - The long-awaited and often-referenced new class has finally released to PC players of Black Desert. The latest update sees the Maegu class' arrival to the sandbox MMORPG, with all of…
Black Desert PC ties down a January 18 release date for the Maegu class - Here she comes, baby. She's comin' to gitcha. She's the Maegu class, the second of the twin classes coming to Black Desert on PC, and while Pearl Abyss had noted…
Black Desert PC and mobile prepare for a Woosa and Maegu launch swap - Back at Black Desert's Calpheon Ball in December, there was a bit of confusion over which version of the game was getting which of the classes and when. We knew…
Black Desert PC launches a Maegu-themed event, adjusts classes, and opens Yolunakea for seasonal players - The Maegu - the second of the much-ballyhooed twin classes of Black Desert - is nearly available on the PC version of the MMORPG, and this week the game is…
Black Desert Console adds ‘cloud accessories’ as BDO Mobile celebrates third birthday - Black Desert Mobile is riding high after its big release last week, and Black Desert PC launched its first Arena of Solare season yesterday. So what's Black Desert Console getting?…
Black Desert PC launches the first Arena of Solare season, tweaks animations, and asks to see your dog - "May I see a picture of your dog?" That's kind of the question that the PC version of Black Desert is asking during one of its events this week, as…
Black Desert Mobile adds new zones and boss fights, reads fans an audiobook about its twin classes - While most of the Black Desert Mobile world is probably still getting its head around December's Maegu class release, today's patch has plenty of things for fans to pay attention…
Fight or Kite: The many ways today’s MMOs are failing PvPers - Last week, the MassivelyOP writing crew released its award for the best PvP MMO of the year - yet I couldn’t bring myself to cast a vote this time around.…
Steam’s winter sale offers many deep discounts on FFXIV, Elder Scrolls Online, New World and more - If you're not already broke from buying presents this holiday season, why not treat yourself to the annual gamer gluttony that is the Steam winter sale? Valve kicked off the…
Massively Overthinking: Our MMO predictions for 2023 - Nobody can see the future, but it sure is fun guessing, and that's exactly what we're going to do for (to?) the MMO genre in this end-of-the-year-themed Massively Overthinking. I've…
Black Desert PC introduces the fan-wielding Woosa and launches its winter seasonal server - Who would bring a fan to a sword fight? The Woosa, that's who. The class that's been talked up by Pearl Abyss at this year's Calpheon Ball has now brought…
Black Desert doubles up on new classes with a twin-sane update - At Calpheon Ball in LA this past weekend, Pearl Abyss revealed the next big thing for Black Desert: a pair of twinned classes that are heading to different versions of…
Desert Oasis: The Woosa, the Maegu, and new lands – the highlights from Black Desert’s 2022 Calpheon Ball - Black Desert had a pretty quiet 2022. It might be a good thing considering how much bad press some of its peers have been getting lately. But even though things…
Black Desert ramps up for its 2022 Calpheon Ball with in-game events and promise of its twin class reveal - Some big reveals and a lot of celebration are on the horizon for Black Desert fans. The 2022 Calpheon Ball from Los Angeles, CA, is kicking off this Saturday, December…
End-of-year Eleven: The healthiest live MMOs at the end of 2022 - When you're investing a whole lot of time and (potentially) money into MMORPGs, you want to make sure that your game isn't going belly-up tomorrow or already sliding into obscurity.…
Black Desert Console closes its autumn seasonal servers - Seasons change, both in life and in Black Desert, as the latest update on the console version has officially shuttered the autumn seasonal servers and made all of the necessary…
Black Desert PC makes several monster updates and starts some holiday season events - 'Tis the season for celebration by getting presents under a tree and killing a monstrous yeti, or at least that's how the holidays are starting off in Black Desert on…
Black Desert adds Atoraxxion party matching for PC, announces two different classes for mobile and PC - What's better than one new class in one MMORPG? Two classes in two different versions, that's what! That's one of the major headlines coming out of Black Desert as both…
Steam’s autumn sale is live now through November 29 – here are a few MMOs with good deals - Like clockwork, the autumn Steam sale has returned for the gaming world with deals just in time for Thanksgiving or Black Friday or Small-Business Saturday or Cyber Monday or Giving…
Black Desert PC opens the third portion of Atoraxxion dungeon, adds events with pesky moles and turkeys - Players of the PC version of Black Desert who have been ready to plumb the further depths of the Atoraxxion dungeon now have their chance. This week's update has opened…
Pearl Abyss Q3 2022: DokeV and Crimson Desert delays, CCP’s new blockchain game, and EVE Online’s uptick - Pearl Abyss, primarily known around these parts as the company that owns EVE Online and Black Desert, has released its third quarter earnings report for this year, and there are…
Black Desert PC applies Agris Fever to gathering, opens a Solare hall of fame, and graduates autumn season players - You'd be forgiven for thinking that something called Agris Fever would be an affliction you'd want to avoid, but in the case of Black Desert on PC it's actually a…
The Stream Team: Backseat Streaming is bound for Black Desert Online - In an era of armchair warriors, we bring you Backseat Streamers! Here, Massively OP’s Chris and MJ get to take a backseat and watch the gameplay right along with you;…
Black Desert Mobile adds primal memories and launches events to draw in players - When your series of events pretty much yells at players to engage with them in their title, it might come off as a little bit... panicked. That's the tone that's…
Black Desert launches its final Path of Glory season on mobile, engages hot time boosts for PC season servers - It's time yet again for the customary weekly updates from Black Desert, specifically the mobile and PC versions of the sandbox MMORPG and their respective updates.[AL:BDO] The mobile version's latest…
Black Desert is canceling its Halloween events and sales following Itaewon tragedy - Unless you skip international news on the weekends, you likely read about the devastating tragedy in the Itaewon neighborhood in Seoul, South Korea, as a crowd crush in a packed…
Black Desert’s 2022 Calpheon Ball returns December 10 as an in-person event in Los Angeles - There's some pretty big news coming out of Pearl Abyss today: The studio has offered some initial details for Black Desert's 2022 Calpheon Ball, confirming a Saturday, December 10th, date…
Black Desert adds a Halloween witch on PC and opens its seasonal servers for console - We've already noted the kinds of spooky things Black Desert is up to for the Halloween season on mobile, but what about the MMORPG's other platforms? Fret not, as the…
Black Desert Mobile’s new patch introduces an improved black market and Halloween events - Black Desert Mobile players have an opportunity for some under the table dealings with the MMO's newest patch. Patricio the merchant is willing to introduce access to a new and…
Four Winds: Lost Ark and the refinement of MMO item enhance systems - In the last edition of Four Winds, I promised I'd cover how three MMOs utilized item enhance systems to facilitate progression, and then I analyzed how this method of progression…
Black Desert PC opens the door to an alternate world with Abyss One: The Magnus - A door has opened in Black Desert, and only the bravest and boldest will step through. Or anyone who accidentally trips and stumbles in its direction, we suppose. It's not…
Four Winds: The refinement of item enhance systems in MMOs, from Granado Espada to Black Desert - Itemization is a foundational system in many modern MMOs. After players reach the level cap, item levels largely drive the measurable progression of a player. Final Fantasy XIV, for example,…
Black Desert adjusts classes on PC, updates guild bosses on console, and tweaks the Spiritwalker on mobile - Every single edition of Black Desert has once again gotten some manner of content update, so we're here to condense it all down for you in one handy-dandy list; whether…
Perfect Ten: 10 MMOs that went through complete technical clownshows - I've gone on record multiple times to state that when you get right down to it, MMOs look pretty darn complicated. There are a lot of moving parts when it…
Black Desert PC dates its next seasonal servers, unveils ambassadors, and changes fishing and farming - The PC version of Black Desert once again a cornucopia of news items for players to check out, so you know what that means: It's bullet list time! Here's what's…
Black Desert’s Heidel Ball unveils gameplay adjustments, new Atoraxxian dungeon, and the mysterious Magnus - This past weekend saw Black Desert showcase what's coming to the MMORPG in its Heidel Ball presentation, and fans got a whole lot to look forward to, including some new…
Black Desert PC preps events in anticipation of Heidel Ball, adds a fruit that grants a sparkle pony - If you happen to own the Mythical Arduanatt horse in Black Desert and you want to make it extra sparkly and showy, then you might be excited to learn that…
Black Desert Console brings quality-of-life adjustments to Node and Conquest Wars - Taking part in the Node and Conquest Wars of Black Desert on console should hopefully be a nicer experience overall thanks to this week's patch, which is primarily focused on…
Perfect Ten: An MMO sunset tour for 2022 to date - MMO sunsets can be weird. I am never happy when a game that people love goes away. It always represents a lot of lost time and effort, the loss of…
Black Desert Mobile’s new update lets players raise a fairy and join in on an otter war - That headline might seem bonkers if it were referring to any game other than Black Desert Mobile, but it is, so let's take a moment to talk about the intensely…
Black Desert celebrates 12 years and over 50M registered players with a free week on Steam - The PC version of Black Desert has a pair of milestones to mark today, as the game is lauding 12 years of operation and over 50 million players registered to…
Black Desert PC adds a temporary horse and kicks off events to celebrate the fall season - If you're a regular player of Black Desert, you've probably forgotten to check in a mount at a stable in a new town or forgot to have a horse taken…
Black Desert PC adds new monster zones, Node War quality-of-life, and Arena of Solare events - Whether it's hunting monsters or hunting other players, the PC version of Black Desert has got you covered with today's update, as it launches two new monster zones in Marni's…
Choose My Adventure: Chimeraland lets its freak flag fly one last time - You remember how I wrote last week that Chimeraland was becoming comfortable and routine? That its weirdness had sort of become kind of expected but not surprising? Yeah, I was…
Black Desert Mobile introduces the swashbuckling Buccaneer class in latest update - The gunblade-wielding, anchor-dropping, otter man-commanding Buccaneer class has officially made her debut in Black Desert Mobile. The class' release to the mobile MMORPG comes with a pair of trailers showcasing…
Black Desert confirms date for next Heidel Ball, graduates seasonal toons, and wrestles with web issues - The question of what's next for Black Desert will soon be answered as Pearl Abyss has confirmed the date for its next Heidel Ball event. Players are invited to "come…
Vague Patch Notes: Novelty is a contradiction in an MMORPG genre that discourages it - The newest member of the Big Five in the MMO space released in the west back in 2015, which was seven years ago now. The oldest one released in 2004,…
Black Desert Online new 3v3 PvP mode Arena of Solare releases today along with its inaugural season - [AL:BDO]Did you know Pearl Abyss founder Kim Dae-il took inspiration from fighting games when he and his team developed Black Desert's MMO combat system? The company's about to take it…
Black Desert talks up its upcoming Gamescom presence at a Samsung booth and a community event - Gamescom 2022 is looming large as it's set to begin next week, which means we're likely going to continue to hear about various titles making a presence at the convention.…
Black Desert Mobile’s Buccaneer sets sails for servers this month - Let it not be said that Black Desert Mobile lacks respect for the high seas and its altruistic cadre of pirates! For lo, Pearl Abyss is bringing the Buccaneer and…
Black Desert updates summer events on PC, opens Elvia realm on console, launches a new siege on mobile - It's a new week and that means a whole bevy of updates for every single version of Black Desert, as the PC, mobile, and console editions of the sandbox MMORPG…
Perfect Ten: 10 MMORPGs that let you talk to cats - Let's not mince words here: I am a cat person. I absolutely love cats. They are small furry idiots who make stupid yelling noises, destroy things for no reason, have…
Black Desert celebrates the summertime with special events on PC and mobile - Eating shaved ice. Marveling at bioluminescent waves. Defending a sand castle. Making tasty skewers. These are the variety of summer-themed activities that players of Black Desert on PC and mobile…
Massively Uplifting: WoW players break barriers, Bungie and ZeniMax raise money to help children - Summer sweetness is not just for corn and watermelon! No, it's for all the kind and generous gestures of of our fellow gamers and game developers that bring sunshine to…
Massively Overthinking: Is old-school MMO dungeon-camping ever coming back? - A while ago on the MOP Podcast, Justin and I randomly wound up on the topic of camping in MMOs - not pitching a tent and peeing behind a tree…
Black Desert PC and console launches Dawn of Dragons and the Drakania Awakening - Who would want to celebrate the end of dragons? Maybe some games are about that, but Black Desert is going all-in on dragons with its most recent update. For one…
Black Desert adjusts the Hashashin and adds Find My Item functionality - If you want to find a particular item you have somewhere in your inventory in Black Desert it can be a somewhat arduous task. To address this problem, the developers…
Black Desert PC unveils the Drakania awakening, takes entries for invite-only ‘early access’ on July 22 - It was only a matter of time until the recently introduced Drakania class of Black Desert got her awakening, and that time is fast approaching for PC players, as some…
Black Desert sends players on a hunt for a lost paradise - A rather chunky patch landed in Black Desert this week, kicking off an adventure to investigate and discover a lost "paradise of winds." Players who successfully navigate the new questline…
Pearl Abyss will shutter ‘inadequate’ battle royale Shadow Arena in August - In the end, the last one standing in a battle royale is the one who has to turn out the lights. Or something. Pearl Abyss announced that it was officially…
Black Desert Mobile adds the Drakania class and offers a brief summary of the Heidel Ball - This past Saturday saw the Heidel Ball event for Black Desert Mobile, which provided a couple of reveals and a whole lot of gift codes and events. A gallery of…
Black Desert Console celebrates worldwide service with events, a coupon code, and a message - Now that Black Desert is being published by Pearl Abyss worldwide following its takeover of South American publishing, executive producer Jae-Hee Kim has taken a moment to thank players of…
Black Desert PC adds tier 5 pets, new instruments, and improvements to blacksmith functions - This week in Black Desert on PC, players are getting another mixed bag kind of update, with buffer pets, easier to use blacksmith features, and some new musical noises to…
Black Desert Mobile readies for its Heidel Ball as it brings a new region and PvPvE content in latest update - Players of Black Desert Mobile have a couple of important things to bear in mind for their favorite mobile MMORPG. First off, the Heidel Ball event is coming, making its…
Steam’s Summer Sale 2022 slashes prices on New World, Endwalker, Classic Guild Wars, and more - Steam's Summer Sale is upon us once again, and this morning you might even be able to access it without everything timing out! There are some notable MMORPGs and MMO-adjacent multiplayer…
Massively Overthinking: The second big five MMOs - So here in the MMORPG genre, we've been working under the assumption for the last few years that the "big five" MMOs that dominate our corner of the industry are…
Black Desert PC celebrates Pearl Abyss’ South American publishing takeover with a laundry list of events - Regular players of Black Desert already know that the game loves to throw events with every update it makes, but this time around it might be going a tad overboard.…
Multiple MMOs mourn the passing of voice actor Billy Kametz - Fandoms of gaming and anime were shocked by the sudden news of the death of voice actor Billy Kametz, who unfortunately passed away from stage IV colon cancer at age…
Black Desert PC revamped the Balenos region and quest in this week’s update - Black Desert's big PC this week went live yesterday, and at the heart of the release is a renewal for the Balenos core questline and region. Pearl Abyss says it's…
Black Desert kicks off the preseason for the brand-new Arena of Solare - Two teams enter, one team leaves, and everyone does their best to make sure it's not the other team. It's the Arena of Solare, a new 3v3 matchmaking PvP mode…
Perfect Ten: 10 things you can spend money on instead of Diablo Immortal - So how about that Diablo Immortal eh? Sure is a lot of "weeping and gnashing of teeth" surrounding its release, huh? But hey, it's for a good reason. In an ironic twist,…
Black Desert Console offers a deep-dive into the creation of the Drakania class - By now players of Black Desert are familiar with the Drakania, the new class that was introduced on PC in April's Eternal Winter update. For those who are enjoying the…
Pearl Abyss reclaims South American Black Desert publishing rights, touts 45M registered players - It's been a bit of a pattern for Pearl Abyss: It launches Black Desert in a new region under a local publisher, and then, once the game is established, it…
Black Desert PC adds ‘private monsters zones’ in today’s patch - Private monster zones are live in Black Desert's PC version with today's patch. What the heck is a private monster zone? It's essentially a way of making the most coveted…
Black Desert Mobile adds Striker’s Yacha awakening, Black Desert PC unleashes a new dream horse - [AL:BDO]This week brings goodies for fans of the Black Desert franchise. Let's start with Black Desert Mobile, where the Yacha is officially live. Yacha is the Striker awakening class and…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 373: Bots are bad, ‘mkay? - Just and Bree discuss Lost Ark's bots, FFXIV's mods, Star Trek Online's Stormfall, Elder Scrolls Online's High Isle, and Wrath Classic beta, with adventures in LOTRO and City of Heroes,…
Pearl Abyss Q1 2022: Black Desert revenues take a hit, EVE Online hangs in there - If you were curious about how Pearl Abyss is performing since its Q4 announcement - during which we learned that both of its core MMORPGs were shrinking, the company was…
Black Desert brings Drakania and season character pre-creation to console, artifact presets and world boss changes to PC - The time is nearly here for console players of Black Desert to swing a giant sword around while wearing a helmet that we could charitably say looks like a spooky…
New Black Desert interview touches on snowboarding, storylines, and future content - Wccftech.com has a new interview up with Pearl Abyss Head of Gaming Design Division Jesse Joo focused on Black Desert's Eternal Winter update with just a few takeaways for MMO…
Black Desert launches new Path of Glory season on mobile, graduates season characters on PC, and shares some jazz tunes - Hey, gamers. Do you like jazz? How about jazzy tracks from Black Desert? If so, then you're in luck because members of the game's audio team are reimagining several songs…
Black Desert’s new silver and extraction rebalance raises fresh whaling complaints - We've got a bit of an eyebrow-raiser for you from Black Desert this morning: Pearl Abyss is making a precision strike on the economy in the form of a silver…
Black Desert opens up another public testing of its matchmade Arena of Solare PvP activity - The Global Lab (aka PTS) of Black Desert is once again open to players as the devs are starting another test of the Arena of Solare, the MMORPG's upcoming matchmade…
Desert Oasis: Black Desert Mobile has a little something for every playstyle - It's amazing how fast two years flies by. It didn't seem that long ago that I was doing my first impressions piece of Black Desert Mobile back in October 2019.…
Black Desert PC improves pet looting and updates various aspects of the Elvia Realm monster zones - Most of the focus for this week's update to Black Desert on PC are on the improvement and refinement side of things - namely, pet looting, the spirit weapons in…
Black Desert PC tweaks item descriptions and weights, launches gathering and farming-related events - Are you ready to go hard on the intense gathering and farming of Black Desert? Then perhaps you're a bad enough mofo to take on one of the events available…
Daybreak’s EG7 intends to sell Innova subsidiary and relocate Toadman Interactive studio in a pull-out from Russia - Enad Global 7, the Swedish company that readers will recall bought up all of Daybreak Games in 2020, is apparently looking to cut ties with Russia, citing a desire to…
Desert Oasis: ‘Jumping’ into Black Desert’s new Drakania class - Everything gets better when a dragon knight is involved as far as I'm concerned. Kain Highwind made Final Fantasy IV the single best Final Fantasy in the entire series. On…
Black Desert PC tasks players with caring for a baby elephant, Black Desert Mobile starts a water gun fight - It should be said that there are more features available in the recent updates to Black Desert and Black Desert Mobile, but the two in the headline are obviously the…
The Stream Team: Heading into the teeth of Black Desert’s Eternal Winter update - Even though it's springtime here in the northern hemisphere, the chill of an Eternal Winter is descending on Black Desert, and MOP's Chris is going to bundle up and check…
Black Desert’s Eternal Winter is live along with a free-play event through April 13 - Pay no attention to the warming temps outside: It's Eternal Winter in Black Desert as of today. The promised expansion, which studio Pearl Abyss is calling its biggest to date,…
Black Desert Mobile now lets you turn into a smoke cloud and flee from PvP fights - Sometimes you want to be left alone or want to flee from a PvP fight in Black Desert Mobile, but you picked a class that doesn't have any particularly good…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 367: Day of the Long Charr - Justin and Bree discuss April Fools' Day around the MMO world, Black Desert's Eternal Winter, FFXIV's Newfound Adventure, E3's cancelation, World of Warcraft's expansion rumor, and dwindling hope for RIFT,…
Grab a Black Desert game pass and more in honor of this week’s Eternal Winter launch - Black Desert is just two days away from the launch of its huge Eternal Winter expansion, which has charmed our Black Desert columnist so much he called it the best…
Desert Oasis: Hands-on with Black Desert’s Eternal Winter expansion, launching April 6 - I needed to take a sabbatical. Not just from Black Desert, but the whole genre. The pandemic gave me a lot of computer time, and just as too much energon is…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 366: A blunder and a blunderbuss - Justin and Bree discuss Guild Wars 2's next expansion, New World's latest patch, Gamigo's layoffs, Black Desert, and Elyon, with adventures in LOTRO, DDO, GW2, and City of Heroes, plus…
Black Desert unveils the Drakania class, zone and quest changes, and reduced item copy costs - The digital CalpheON Ball's second act has once more unveiled lots of new stuff headed to Black Desert, offering up previews of a new class, some changes to zones and…
Black Desert revealed PAX East party, weekend preview stream, and latest PC update - So what are you doing at 4 a.m. EDT Saturday? Sleeping, I hope. But if not, you'll want to tune in to Black Desert's next CalpheON stream, during which we…
Myth of Empires plans fast-progression season servers for April - Myth of Empires isn't letting that whole copyright infringement lawsuit get in the way of game development, oh no: Over the weekend, Angela Game announced that it's opening three-month-long season…
Black Desert PC revamps guild combat missions and posts a ton of alpaca gifs - Eternal Winter looms! No, not in real life; right here, we're getting away from winter and into spring as fast as possible. I'm talking about Black Desert's Eternal Winter, of…
Black Desert Mobile adds lightning lord class and new dream horse - This week's Black Desert Mobile update is like lightning in a bottle... no, not literally. Pearl Abyss has rolled out a new class for mobile client called Legatus, who literally…
Massively Overthinking: How do alts fit into MMORPGs in 2022? - Last weekend, my play group took a second batch of Guild Wars 2 alts to Cantha, and we found ourselves a bit grumbly about having to repeat some of the…
Black Desert’s Eternal Winter expansion launches April 6 with pre-orders live today - A frigid new zone in Black Desert has been awaiting the arrival of PC players since it was revealed earlier this year, and now entry into the Mountain of Eternal…
Black Desert Mobile opens the Field of Valor Desert, adds a quick join party feature, and nerfs the Kunoichi - There's a new Field of Valor waiting in this week's update to Black Desert Mobile, and if you've got plans on going there, you'd better bring your water and prepare…
The Stream Team: Black Desert Online is still beautiful as it ages - [AL:BDO]Six years in and Black Desert Online is just as beautiful as when it started. The sandbox celebrated its sixth birthday yesterday, and Massively OP's MJ has returned to enjoy…
Black Desert’s test realm features a new matchmade PvP arena and the return of the alpaca mount - Black Desert's Global Lab, aka its test realm, has introduced some interesting features for players to peer at and provide their feedback on. One such feature is the Arena of…
Black Desert marks two years of console cross-play as players are married in-game and real life - We've got yet another giant pile of news coming out of every version of Black Desert, so whether you hit WASD, a thumbstick, or buttons on a mobile device to…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 362: Eternal Winter, Eternity’s End, End of Dragons - Justin and Bree discuss Guild Wars 2 End of Dragons, Black Desert Mountain of Eternal Winter, DDO's 16th anniversary, WoW's Eternity's End, EverQuest II's level-agnostic server, and Elder Scrolls Online's…
Black Desert PC announces Mountain of Eternal Winter expansion for April 2022 - Just because February isn't already absolutely packed with MMO news, here's one more big one: Black Desert PC is prepping a huge new expansion called Mountain of Eternal Winter. The…
Black Desert PC preps a month-long six year anniversary, Black Desert Console brings back Red Battlefield - Before Pearl Abyss decides to potentially put Black Desert on the sacrificial altar of Gooficus, God of Blockchain, the game is celebrating six years on PC with a whole month's…
EVE Online and Black Desert studio Pearl Abyss believes it can ‘create a stable blockchain ecosystem’ - Pearl Abyss' Q4 2021 financials are a rollercoaster, my friends. The company is fine, so no panic there; in fact, it's operating revenue is up compared to this quarter last…
Black Desert PC marks Valentine’s Day with a chocolate-powered in-game raffle event - Black Desert on PC has now officially deemed that chocolate boxes are a form of currency. That's just a part of the game's Valentine's Day event that has kicked off…
Black Desert’s Gyfin Rhasia Temple underground rework is live in today’s update - You know it's a Wednesday when Black Desert's PC version has released no less than 11 announcement posts on its front page. Chief among them is the patch itself, which in addition…
Black Desert Mobile merges servers, Black Desert PC discusses planned quality-of-life updates - The world of Black Desert Mobile is shrinking. Sort of. The game's world isn't getting smaller, but the number of servers is, as the mobile MMO's latest update has performed…
Steam’s Lunar New Year sale discounts New World, Elder Scrolls Online, and more - It may not be one of the biggest annual promotions that Valve runs, but Steam's Lunar New Year sale has several tempting discounts for the frugal gamer. If any of…
Black Desert PC tweaks a monster zone and goes on sale for Lunar New Year, Black Desert Mobile adds the Solaris class - It's that time of the week when Black Desert plops a whole bunch of news on everyone's lap. The lion's share of updates comes from the PC version of the…
Black Desert tweaks Black Spirit skills and Red Battlefield ahead of Lunar New Year events - It's patch day over in Pearl Abyss' Black Desert PC version, plus we're just two weeks out from the Lunar New Year, which means the game is about to kick…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 356: A long time from now in a galaxy far, far away - Justin and Bree discuss LOTRO, Star Citizen, Black Desert, Elyon, and Neverwinter, with adventures in LOTRO, Crowfall, and Elder Scrolls Online, plus voicemail topics on alienating MMO design choices and…
Black Desert claims a 230% increase in new western daily players on PC thanks to class reboot - Back in December, Black Desert implemented a major reboot of all of its classes in the PC version of the game, alongside the launch of its winter season servers, and…
Black Desert Mobile launches events to fight bosses, grow account characters, and celebrate bagels - Sure, there are events that involve beating down foes or logging in, but have you ever dared to dream of an event that celebrates the majesty of the bagel? Black…
PSA: Black Desert Mobile is once again offering rewards for Prime Gaming members - Are you a player of Black Desert Mobile? Do you have an Amazon Prime account that you forgot to unsubscribe to? Then you've got some free goodies coming your way…
Black Desert’s patch today ‘rebooted’ every single class in the game - The promised class overhaul update has arrived in Black Desert's western PC version as of today. Reboots have come to literally every single one of the game's classes, in addition…
End-of-Year Eleven: The best MMO updates and expansions of 2021 - Some years are just bulkier than others when it comes to updates for existing MMOs. That's the nature of the beast. Some years just about every major game gets another…
Massively Overthinking: Our MMO predictions for 2022 - OK folks, it's that time of the year again: the time when we cast our eyes ahead and try to pinpoint what's going to happen to the genre in 2022,…
Black Desert posts small pre-class rebalance update, opens music competition - Black Desert's in between two major December happenings: the major reveals of Calpheon Ball last weekend and the class reboots on PC next week. But in the meantime, Pearl Abyss…
Black Desert unveils a new region for PC, dates class reboots for PC and console, and announces the Eclipse class for mobile - This past weekend saw the Calpheon Ball event for Black Desert arrive to fans of the MMORPG, and as usual the presentation was full of reveals for players to sink…
Working As Intended: The hits and misses of MassivelyOP’s 2021 predictions - Last year's MMORPG predictions didn't exactly go to plan, since in 2019, we weren't really expecting 2020 to play out the way it did. But at the end of 2020,…
End-of-year Eleven: The healthiest live MMOs at the end of 2021 - Healthy MMOs are a good thing. They have smooth, glossy coats, strong teeth capable of snapping bone, a full-throated call, and it just occurs to me now that I am…
Black Desert marks two years on mobile, tweaks a summon scroll on PC, adds Valencia Node and Conquest Wars on console - Once again, Black Desert is awash with news for the week across every version, so we'll cut this lede short and dive right in. We begin with the mobile version's…
Black Desert adds a card game on PC, suspends Red Battlefield on console, and dates the 2022 Calpheon Ball - It's time for another week of Black Desert news from all around the game's hemisphere, and this week PC players are being invited to play a game of poker. More…
Fight or Kite: Naraka Bladepoint is battle royale but with grappling hooks - Welcome back to the Monday after a holiday (at least in the US). Hopefully you were able to enjoy your family, friends, or game time. If not, well, here we…
Black Desert kicks off Black Friday events and allows for easier new player gear upgrades - It's just about time for Thanksgiving, and that means that everyone should fall into a frenzied rush of consumerism the next day for Black Friday. Since Black Desert isn't hosting…
Not So Massively: Lost Ark is a promising MMOARPG with a poor first impression - Like many ARPG fans, I have long-awaited the Western release of Smilegate's MMOARPG, Lost Ark. Though the launch has been delayed to next year, I, alongside MOP's Chris, was recently…
Desert Oasis: Unearthing the origin story of Black Desert studio Pearl Abyss - On our side of the pond, the exploits of various popular video game companies and their founding are well documented. But when it comes to companies out of the USA,…
Kakao is taking over publishing ArcheAge in the west from Gamigo - It's the end of an era: The Western version of ArcheAge is getting a new publisher. Come December, Kakao will be running the game in Europe, North America, and Oceania…
Black Desert PC gives players a manor to rent, Black Desert Mobile holds a contest for the Sage class’ arrival - "Yo, MTV, welcome to Serendia. This is my crib," is something players of Black Desert on PC could possibly say with this week's patch, which has introduced the Blue Maned…
Battle Bards Episode 203: The music of mobile MMOs - For this week’s episode, the Battle Bards turn their attention to an oft-neglected realm of MMO music — that of mobile titles. Will Steff walk into a pole while playing…
Black Desert Console discusses upcoming content updates, class reboots, and guild raid boss arrivals - Those who prefer to get their Black Desert fix on consoles might be looking over at the updates arriving to PC players with a bit of jealousy or a question…
Black Desert unleashes a giant robot fight on PC and various Halloween events for mobile and console - Do you dig giant robots? Then you're probably going to dig on Black Desert's latest event, which features a battle against Marni's latest creation, the Innocence Mk XII, where players…
Black Desert PC revamps Node Wars while Black Desert console opens its Season+ server - This week in Black Desert is bringing some pretty important updates to both the PC and console versions of the MMORPG. We'll begin with the latest PC update, which has…
Black Desert Mobile adds a powerful new totem and Black Desert PC kicks off multiple Halloween events - If it's Thursday, it's another bundle of Black Desert news. We'll begin with the latest update to Black Desert Mobile, which added the Primal Rift Totem, the most powerful totem…
Black Desert PC adds the next part of Atoraxxion, opens class reboot forums, and kicks off an autumn event - If you're among those who are enjoying the fact that Black Desert has dungeon content and you're a player of the PC version, then you'll be delighted to learn that…
Black Desert PC preps season+ server graduation, Atoraxxion’s next act, and Elvia Realm changes - If you've been pushing through the season+ server of Black Desert on PC to the point you're ready to head to the regular servers, then this week is for you…
Black Desert launches PC season+ server, offers next-gen console support and roadmap - It's Wednesday, which means another weekly deluge of Black Desert news. [AL:BDO]First, over on the PC servers, where the game is celebrating 2000 days online in the west, Pearl Abyss…
Black Desert Mobile is introducing the Mystic class on September 14 - Players of Black Desert Mobile will soon get the option to punch enemies right in the mouth as a female character, as the game will be introducing the Mystic class…
Black Desert launches Conquest War pre-season, sets Season+ server launch for next week - Conquest War has returned to the world of Black Desert as the pre-season has begun. MMO players will recall that this mode is basically mass territorial PvP. "Conquest War is…
Massively Overthinking: MMO ideas that were ahead of their time - I'm gonna say something wild right now: In some ways, CliffyB was ahead of his time. My husband and I came to this realization a while back when he was…
Black Desert outlines class reboots, quality-of-life streamlining, and new customization plans - Here at the top of September, Pearl Abyss Executive Producer Jae-hee Kim has a letter for western Black Desert PC players. Kim says that the team has been focused on…
Black Desert celebrates two years on console and 2000 days on PC with free stuff - So hey, want some free stuff? Pearl Abyss has a bunch of goodies queued up for Black Desert fans, even beyond the Margoria expansion in the mobile edition earlier this…
Black Desert Mobile sets sail on the Great Ocean with today’s expansion - The mobile version of Black Desert requests your oars, as it's finally getting the Great Ocean expansion today. Readers will recall that the expansion rolled out as Margoria back in…
Black Desert PC adjusts potions and ramps up skill XP earnings, Black Desert Mobile releases the Lahn - It's a tale of two updates for the same IP as Black Desert on PC and Black Desert Mobile both have some updates arriving this week that players of either…
Vague Patch Notes: The lesson hidden in the Astellia shutdown - A couple years ago, an MMO launched named Astellia. It was fine. It wasn't bad. It wasn't good. It was just fine. It was perfectly acceptable as a buy-to-play game,…
Black Desert’s Corsair awakens today on PC – yes, it’s otter time - Happy Corsair awakening day! She's got pirate hats, she's got gunblades, she's got adorable otters, she's got rapiers, she's got mermaids... wait. Wait. Go back to the otters thing? [AL:BDO]Yes,…
Black Desert Mobile opens Lahn and Crimson Lily pre-creation with contest - You think you can make a rather nice-looking character in Black Desert Mobile, do you? Well the game itself is asking you to prove it with its latest community challenge…
Black Desert’s Corsair awakens with swashbuckling otter crewmates on August 11 - The Corsair class of Black Desert already has some pretty neat tricks by all accounts. After all, being able to slice up enemies, call down a whale breaching, or temporarily…
Black Desert tweaks stance animations, weekly quest resets, and conquest wars on PC - Black Desert's PC patch this week is a bit of a hodge-podge, but it's still gonna make you download a whole gig of content. So what the heck is in…
Pearl Abyss has delayed Crimson Desert indefinitely - Earlier this month, when Pearl Abyss emerged from over six months of silence on Crimson Desert to post a mocap video, we speculated that the original "winter 2021" release date…
Black Desert opens the summertime Night Market, tweaks the Atoraxxion dungeon, and updates its TOS - It's time to celebrate the summer season in Black Desert on PC. The Terrmian Night Market is now open, and players are being encouraged to take promotional-styled screenshots of the…
Black Desert’s Atoraxxion dungeon is live for PC and console today - As promised, Atoraxxion has rolled out to Black Desert's PC and console versions today. What's Atoraxxion? Why, it's the game's first-ever traditional co-up dungeon. And when they call it a…
Black Desert sets Atoraxxion launch for July 21 as console counts 3M players - I'm sorry to report that Cursed, the Netflix TV show that Black Desert collaborated with on a whole patch last year, has been canceled. This isn't exactly Defiance levels of…
Pearl Abyss is building an art center in order to ‘create more realistic and cinematic games’ - It appears that publisher/developer Pearl Abyss is very serious about making its upcoming titles as realistic as possible. How serious, you ask? Try spending $26M on a building for precisely…
Black Desert talks up a rather vague 300% increase in daily players - Fair warning: The information in this article is going to frustrate you. That's because Pearl Abyss has released relative numbers for Black Desert, claiming that daily players have surged by…
Black Desert PC adds a buff-granting otter pirate and details the summer season server - Have you ever been the recipient of a sea shanty as sung by a piratical otter that grants you some XP buffs? No? Well with the latest patch for Black…
Black Desert PC hands out a code for free boost items and makes several Corsair fixes in latest update - Black Desert on PC is all about raking in the booty this summer with the launch of the Corsair and the boost-filled summer season server, but now players of the…
Desert Oasis: The key takeaways from Black Desert’s Heidel Ball 2021 - It's been a busy two weeks for Black Desert Online. The past week saw another Arena of Arsha event, this time with trial characters. And while that was a blast to…
Massively Overthinking: What’s your favorite MMO house of all time? - You folks know I love MMO housing systems, and in fact, we've been crowning the MMOs with the best housing systems for years. But what we don't talk about much…
Black Desert’s Corsair is finally here to take all your booty - Avast ye landlubbers! Break out your sea legs and practice your best swashbucklin', because Black Desert's Corsair isn't going to go on a date with you until you can prove…
You can make your Black Desert Corsair right now (and play her next week) - On this week's podcast, we were discussing how few pirate classes there are in MMORPGs despite pirate NPCs being in pretty much all of them. So a 21-cannon salute to…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 327: Ducks all the way down - Justin and Bree discuss WoW 9.1, Elder Scrolls Online, LOTRO Classic, RuneScape Mobile, and Black Desert's Corsair, with adventures in Final Fantasy XIV, WoW Classic, Albion Online, and SWG Legends,…
Heidel Ball 2021: Black Desert announces summer season server, shows off new Corsair class - Earlier this morning, Black Desert held its digital Heidel Ball event, which was stuffed to the rafters with announcements and reveals. At the top of the list is the new…
Desert Oasis: Black Desert’s Atoraxxian dungeon is a good idea, but will it last? - Burger and Fries, Mario and Luigi, Garfunkel and Oates. Are there any other iconic pairs? Oh yeah! RPGs and dungeons. Be it the sprawling 100 floor Via Infinito from Final…
Black Desert teases Heidel Ball reveals including a Dark Knight figurine and the Corsair class - As we've reported before, Black Desert's Heidel Ball will once more be a digital affair, but that doesn't mean there won't be plenty of reveals to look forward to. The…
MOP’s quick and dirty guide to finding the perfect MMORPG for your tastes - Probably one of the most commonly asked questions both here on Massively OP and in various MMORPG discussions everywhere else too is simply, "What MMO should I play?" We're not…
Black Desert updates the central market, opens up family names from deleted accounts - With Black Desert's Heidel Ball just a pinch over a week away, the devs busy with a flurry of promotional bits - not to mention the latest PC patch. [AL:BDO]First,…
Black Desert teases the arrival of ‘a new tide’ and enters a crossover with Bugatti across all platforms - *WHOCK! WHOCK! WHOCK!* Oh, don't mind that noise, that's the sound of Black Desert trying to hammer the square peg of Bugatti into the round hole of its game world.…
Pearl Abyss opens new studios in US and Europe as part of western expansion efforts - Pearl Abyss very clearly has eyes on expanding its reach further into the western market. The publisher/developer of Black Desert has opened up two new studios in the NA and…
Desert Oasis: Why Black Desert Online is my favorite MMO - It's crazy how fast two years go by, but it's how long I've been running this column. I've interviewed the lead producer Jaehee Kim, provided a sneak preview to popular…
Black Desert announces the upcoming co-op dungeon Atoraxxion - It's time to team up in Black Desert this summer. Players on both PC and console will be able to take part in exploring the game's new co-op dungeon, Atoraxxion. It's…
Black Desert’s Great Expedition expansion has finally floated over to console players - Black Desert's Great Expedition expansion sailed its way over to western PC players almost two years ago, if you can believe it, back when the game on console was still…
Black Desert PC celebrates World Milk Day and adds a new outfit and pet, mobile introduces the Sura class - "Due to the upcoming World Milk Day, it’s said that the milk production in the Black Desert world has skyrocketed. So, let’s celebrate this special occasion by going to a…
Black Desert offers a video preview of the upcoming Atoraxxian co-op dungeon - From the outside looking in, Black Desert appears to be a game about grinding, Conquest and Node Wars, and (in my personal case) logging in after some time away and…
Black Desert announces digital Heidel Ball convention for June 19 - [AL:BDO]Black Desert's gearing up for a summer convention of its own as Pearl Abyss announced this morning the return of Heidel Ball. As in 2020, the 2021 version will be…
Black Desert PC issues apologies and recompense for recent Node War issues, offers gifts to new and returning players on console - If you were among the PC players of Black Desert who experienced some problems with Node War and Conquest War this past weekend, Pearl Abyss has been paying attention and…
Desert Oasis: So Black Desert wants to be an esport now - Even though the San Francisco Giants threw away a 6-2 lead against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, the real highlight of my weekend was watching Black Desert's Arena of Arsha Best-in-Class…
Black Desert esports players will determine the best class in the Arena of Arsha Championship this weekend - Now to be clear, you shouldn't feel compelled to follow any game's meta if you don't want to, especially one that takes its cues from esports. What Black Desert is…
Four Winds: Final thoughts on Elyon’s first closed beta test - Elyon's closed beta test came and went, and boy am I happy with what I played. It was unfortunate that the test fell on Mother's day weekend, since I couldn't…
Black Desert prepares for a ‘comprehensive balance patch’ on PC, adds a treasure system to mobile - It's time for another gaggle of Black Desert news, and while mobile updates are on the radar, easily one of the more impactful stories coming from the game is an…
First impressions of Elyon’s western closed beta: Day one and a dungeon run - I can't believe I'm actually playing Elyon on local servers. People have been excited for this game since it was called Ascent: Infinite Realm, and just from the first couple of hours…
Black Desert PC changes underwear names, talks up a class tournament, and adds a horrible tech worm - That headline sure reads like a mishmash of things for Black Desert, doesn't it? Well, that's kind of because it is, so really there's nothing for it but to dive…
Desert Oasis: The best Black Desert quality-of-life changes - I wasn't there at launch, but I've played Black Desert long enough to see some major changes in the game. And since the game just celebrated its fifth birthday in the…
Kakao Q1 2021 financials: ArcheAge 2 won’t be ready until at least 2024 - As MOP's own Carlo has written at length, Kakao is a massive company with its fingers in many pies - most recently the delicious pie known as Black Desert, though…
PSA: Download the Black Desert companion app, get an adorable pupper - I admit, I don't play Black Desert very much and I very often ignore limited-time login gifts or rewards, but for the intensely adorable puppy pet that's being handed out…
Massively Overthinking: The terrible hot-mess MMOs we have fun in anyway - Every time we cover Hellgate London - and let's be honest, it's a lot since the game comes back from the dead at least once a year and it's a…
Black Desert welcomes May with tulips on PC, awakens the Sage on console, adds the Kunoichi to mobile - [AL:BDO]Every version of Black Desert has seen an update of some sort this week, which means that not only is there a whole lot for players of the MMO to…
Massively Overthinking: How much are you spending on MMOs every month right now? - A while back, MOP's Justin joked that his wife, who loves econ PvP in MMOs, was funding a year of his play on Classic and Retail World of Warcraft through…
Black Desert’s companion app, Black Desert+, is available now - If you play a lot of Black Desert, you might wish there were a way to get a little bit more of the game even when you're not playing it. Good…
Black Desert PC unleashes the Awakened Sage, launches new events, and introduces rare hunts - Can't you hear, can't you hear that thunder? No, it's not Men at Work calling to you; it's the arrival of the Awakened Sage to Black Desert on PC as…
Four Winds: Why are Asian MMOs monetized the way they are? - Welcome to Four Winds, Massively OP's newest column, dedicated to Asian MMOs and the culture around it. As the resident Black Desert columnist, I'm a fan of the game as…
Black Desert offers a sneak peek at the Sage’s Awakening arriving to PC April 21 - If you thought the Sage class that was recently introduced to Black Desert did some damage using magical cubes, just wait until you see what it can do with some…
Black Desert adds Sage and cooking content on PC, character tagging and item copying on console - [AL:BDO]Hey cooks and likeminded lifeskillers! It's your time to shine in Black Desert, as the PC version of the core MMORPG has today launched Martina Finto's Cooking Festival. Players will…
Black Desert adds constellations on mobile, events on PC, and a new Amazon Prime Gaming promo - It's the middle of the week, which means it's time once again for some new content updates for the PC version Black Desert and for Black Desert Mobile.[AL:BDO] We'll start…
Desert Oasis: Black Desert’s Sage release demonstrates Pearl Abyss’ focus on the west - I'm not really a comics guy, but I still have my favorite superheroes. For me, it's Dr. Strange. Marvel's artifact wielding, spell-slinging, multiverse traversing sorcerer supreme checks all the marks…
Fly on a donkey with Black Desert’s April Mules’ Day prank - Black Desert's PC version is rolling out its April Fools' day prank early, but given the context and adorableness rating on this one, we don't think you'll be sad. "April…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 315: The Wrath Baby strikes back - Justin, Bree, Chris, and Tyler discuss Magic Legends' soft launch, World of Warcraft's price hikes, WoW Burning Crusade's beta, Elite Dangerous' Odyssey alpha, Raph Koster's virtual world manifesto, and Monster…
Desert Oasis: The problem with Black Desert’s season servers – and how to fix it - Black Desert's had some exceptional growth over the past year. What I've always liked about this game is that it's never tried to be what it's not. It's always been…
Black Desert cancels spring season server, plans ‘growth server’ for newbies instead - There's a ton of Black Desert PC info rolling out this afternoon. First up: Seasons are about to go away for spring break, literally. With the conclusion of the winter…
Battle Bards Episode 189: Spooky and Magical 3 - Is that a chill creeping down your spine? Did your ears just perk up at the hint of fae music in the trees? Is Tinkerbell blasting you with a cannon…
Neverwinter’s Sharandar: Iron Tooth episode has officially launched on PS4 and Xbox One - [AL:NW]It's a happy week for console MMO players, as not only can Black Desert consolers begin designing their very own Sage, but two big content drops that were previously playable…
Black Desert releases the Sage class on PC, introduces Life Skill Mastery and Caphras Stones to console - PC players of Black Desert can now rock enemy faces with the power of cubes. Today's update has introduced the Sage class to the MMORPG, along with a special event…
Black Desert just revealed the new Sage class on its afternoon stream - [AL:BDO]On its splashy reveal stream this afternoon, Pearl Abyss took the wraps off the latest playable class in Black Desert: The Sage. "Armed with the cube-shaped Kyve, an ancient, god-defying weapon,…
Desert Oasis: A brief history of Kakao Games, Black Desert’s former PC publisher - It's been a busy couple of months for Pearl Abyss and Kakao games. While Black Desert players knew about Pearl Abyss taking up self publishing duties for the game's western PC…
Black Desert players vote on next GM events as latest PC update brings new quests and plump pufferfish - What sort of GM-led events will PC players of Black Desert be seeing next? Well, if the results of a player poll are any indication, there's gong to be lots…
Massively Overthinking: ‘Dead games’ in the MMO space - I had a laugh a while back when I spied this tweet in my feeds from a Bungie CM who was suggesting people mute the words "dead game" on Twitter.…
The Stream Team: Black Desert’s 5th birthday bash - [AL:BDO]Today Black Desert Online turns five, but this time the party's at Pearl Abyss! Massively OP's MJ is ready to celebrate this milestone while checking out the game after its…
Black Desert opens Star’s End on console, introduces tainted monsters on PC, and teases the Sage class - Black Desert is once again hitting us with all the news. We'll begin with the console version of the game, which has introduced the Star's End area to the game…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 311: The day the MMOs died - Justin and Bree discuss Anthem Next's demise, Defiance and Gamigo's MMO purge, DDO's big news, Black Desert's free-play, Riot's MMO, and mobile Warcraft, with adventures in LOTRO, City of Heroes,…
Black Desert Mobile announces the arrival of the Shai and a new PvP mode in March - The little character with a big boomerang is headed to Black Desert Mobile. Yes, the Shai class has been officially confirmed for the mobile MMO, with her arrival on Tuesday,…
MMO Business Roundup: Apple’s Steam subpoena, CCP on the cheap, and Valheim’s 4M - Welcome back to yet another MMO and MMO-adjacent business news roundup - it's the season for these shenanigans, you know. Valve and Apple: Remember earlier this month when Apple attempted…
Black Desert has officially transitioned back to Pearl Abyss – and now it’s free-to-grab for two weeks - Black Desert was supposed to be back up last night, but if you stayed up for the Pearl Abyss relaunch, you know that it didn't go smoothly, with processing and…
Kakao Games bids a fond farewell to fans as Black Desert publishing officially changes hands to Pearl Abyss - Today is the official end of the Kakao Games era of Black Desert. We all knew this was coming, of course: The move was first announced at the digital Calpheon…
Pearl Abyss promises less lag, support systems for vets, and a revamped Loyalties Shop in Black Desert - Pearl Abyss would like players of Black Desert to know that they want to support you. More specifically, the company is going to better support you through a number of…
Pearl Abyss Q4 2020: An overall drop in profits and revenue but a revenue rise on PC - The quarterly earnings report from Pearl Abyss is now available to peruse for armchair fiscal analysis types to chew over, and in the fourth quarter and 2020 overall, there was…
Kakao Games hosted its last GM-led live event for Black Desert on PC this past weekend - With Black Desert changing hands from Kakao Games over to Pearl Abyss, yesterday signaled the possible end of an era as GMs and CMs from Kakao held one final GM-led…
Massively Overthinking: Which MMORPG offers the best tutorial? - MMORPG developer Raph Koster recently put this neat article by experimental game developer Nicky Case on my radar. Case notes that common wisdom is that players learn by "doing," but…
Black Desert is deleting accounts not transferred to Pearl Abyss by May 31 - [AL:BDO]If you haven't transferred your Black Desert account from Kakao to Pearl Abyss - perhaps because of the chaos last week - then you should definitely pencil it in. That's…
Why I Play: Final Fantasy XIV’s memorable Shadowbringer relic weapon grind - I have a love-hate relationship with Final Fantasy XIV. I actively fought against giving the game MMO of the year for 2020, and I hold the unpopular opinion that the best way…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 309: You can take my loot over my dead body - Justin and Bree discuss Valheim, Elite Dangerous' slave cult, BlizzConline, Hearthstone, WoW's valor, Neverwinter Nights Arelith, Phantasy Star Online 2, Black Desert, and Shadowbane, with adventures in LOTRO, Elder Scrolls…
Black Desert scrambles to address transfer problems from Kakao - If you haven't heard already, your Black Desert account needs to be transferred from Kakao to Pearl Abyss by May 31st of this year, as it could be deleted otherwise.…
Black Desert patches in defense icons and a new event to praise the sun - It can be a bit tricky sometimes to remember exactly how various defensive abilities work in Black Desert from time to time. Does this particular skill make you actually invulnerable (taking…
Black Desert Mobile gets the Archer and Fletcher next week, opens pre-creation today - Care to take your enemies out from a distance through some more conventional means in Black Desert Mobile? Then you're ready to give the Archer class and its Awakened form…
MMO Business Roundup: Improbable’s defense contracting, Amazon Games’ internal support - Welcome back to another roundup of MMO and MMO-adjacent industry news! Improbable: Back in January, CNBC did a big story on Improbable, the massive Herman Narula-led company backed by companies…
Desert Oasis: Having a blast with Black Desert’s new Nova class - Thanks to the quarantine, it's been a pretty long while since I've gone out and enjoyed some coffee at a cafe and a beer at a bar. But of all…
Perfect Ten: A guide to podcasts for your favorite MMOs - Clearly, your Tuesday schedule every week should have a big fat "LISTEN TO MASSIVELY OP PODCAST" written at 4:00 p.m. EST right on it. But once you've experienced that blissful…
Black Desert Mobile starts Path of Glory Season 3, Black Desert PC hands out lots of chocolate - Do you crave glory, or do you crave chocolate? Well, if you play both Black Desert Mobile and Black Desert on PC, you can have both thanks to the latest…
Black Desert PC adds new chicken chasing quests, opens Western transfers from Kakao - As sure as the sun will rise and set, the latest update to Black Desert on PC has added a bunch of new events and quests. This time around, though,…
The Stream Team: Horse racing in Black Desert Online - [AL:BDO]Black Desert has introduced horse racing, and Massively OP's MJ has been totally snookered into trying it out thanks to the super cute black spirit on horseback. How could she…
Shadow Arena offers compensation, flips hero Venslar from offense to support - Shadow Arena isn't letting its low population counts stop it: Pearl Abyss is plunging on with updates anyway. Earlier this month, we covered a major update to the Black Desert…
Black Desert’s PC, console, and mobile editions get a raft of Nova changes and winter events - It's Wednesday, so you know what that means! I mean, yes, it's New President day in the US. But it's also Black Desert blitz day. Here's what Pearl Abyss' multi-platform…
Shadow Arena has replaced its 40-person battle royale mode with a 3v3 arena - Earlier this month, our own PvP columnist Sam Kash delivered a Fight or Kite column on Shadow Arena, the battle royale standalone title spun off from Black Desert last year.…
The Old Moon Grand Prix horse race begins in Black Desert PC - There's another event happening in Black Desert on PC, which sounds otherwise humdrum considering every update has some event of some sort. However, this one sounds a little more interesting…
Fight or Kite: Pearl Abyss’ Shadow Arena has epic new modes – and no one to play them - In this week’s edition of “why is Sam still so sad and unable to find a regular MMO to play?” I've decided to take a look back at a battle…
Massively Overthinking: Hopes and fears for MMOs in 2021 - Welcome to 2021, folks. It's not even going to have to try all that hard to be better than 2020! For our first official Massively Overthinking of the year, I've…
Leaderboard: What was the best new MMO or online game of 2020? - It's been a long time since a brand-new MMORPG really deserved a GOTY award - in fact, my my reckoning, it was was 2016, when Black Desert ran away with…
Desert Oasis: Avoiding burnout in Black Desert Online - Players leaving Black Desert in a tizzy is something of a tradition in the community. It can be for a number of reasons. Sometimes players just get bored. Some players…
Perfect Ten: The top MMOs to watch in 2021 - "MMOs are dead!" "MMOs are dying!" "We didn't get any good MMO releases this past year!" While I won't argue with the last one there, I humbly submit today's column…
Black Desert brings the Nova’s Awakening and Succession in latest update to PC and console - As is ever the case for classes in Black Desert, it's now time for the Nova to choose between mastering her existing kit or taking up some new skills. Awakening…
Black Desert rings in the new year with cows, apologies, and wishes - Before you knock back that glass of bubbly and try in vain to sing "Auld Lang Syne," you have some New Years activities to enjoy in Black Desert. Through January…
Massively OP’s 2020 Awards: MMORPG of the Year - MassivelyOP’s end-of-the-year awards for 2020 continue today with our award for MMORPG of the Year, which was awarded to Elder Scrolls Online last year. Longtime readers of this site and…
Massively OP’s 2020 Awards: Most Anticipated MMO - MassivelyOP’s end-of-the-year awards for 2020 continue today with our award for Most Anticipated MMO, which was awarded to Book of Travels and Torchlight Frontiers last year. (Obviously, Frontiers lost that…
Black Desert extends free play for PlayStation first-timers unable to purchase the game properly - On paper, the whole free play idea for Black Desert seemed like a pretty great idea. The game lets everyone play for free for a little while, hopefully enticing new…
MassivelyOP’s 2020 Golden Yachties: Best worst transmedia synergy - MassivelyOP’s not-so-serious end-of-the-year awards continue today with our pick for best worst transmedia synergy. (If you’re wondering what the heck a Golden Yachtie is, you can get caught up with…
Massively OP’s 2020 Awards: Not-So-Massively Game of the Year - MassivelyOP’s end-of-the-year awards for 2020 continue today with our award for the Not-So-Massively Game of the Year, which was awarded to No Man's Sky last year. The games eligible for…
The Stream Team: A Nova Christmas in Black Desert Online - [AL:BDO]Christmas has come to town in Black Desert, but that's not the only thing: The Nova has arrived! Massively OP's MJ is going to dip into the holiday spirit, but…
Massively OP’s 2020 Awards: Best MMO Music of 2020 - MassivelyOP’s end-of-the-year awards for 2020 continue today with our award for Best MMO Music of 2020, which last year wasn't directly awarded; instead, we gave out smaller music awards to…
End-of-Year Eleven: The best MMO updates and expansions of 2020 - With so many delays, it's a wonder that anything released this year at all! And while new patches and expansions trickled rather than flowed through 2020, arrive they did. When…
PSA: The Steam Winter Sale is now live, complete with steep MMO discounts - You probably already learned this from finding that dozens of games on your wishlist were on sale, but the Steam Winter Sale is live now on the platform. That means…
Choose My Adventure: All the MMOs you made us play in 2020 - It'd be spectacularly easy -- routine, even -- to look back at the year gone with derision, bitterness, and all sorts of acrid snark, but I'm not going to do…
Black Desert releases the new Nova class on all platforms today - The lovely and battle-ready lady up in that header image is my pre-created Nova, who has had nothing to do but sit in that grey background and wait for her…
Massively OP’s 2020 Awards: MMO Studio of the Year - MassivelyOP’s end-of-the-year awards for 2020 continue today with our award for MMO Studio of the Year, which was awarded to Grinding Gear Games last year. We asked our writers to…
Black Desert Console extends its special Snow Flower winter event - For those who are playing Black Desert on console, you've likely already been appraised of a special winter event that collaborates with famous Japanese singer Mika Nakashima and popular Japanese…
Massively Overthinking: Our MMO predictions for 2021 - So... 2020 didn't go exactly as anyone planned. Our predictions for this past year were pretty janked up by that whole pandemic thing and the whole games industry going way…
Winter holiday events around the MMO universe, 2020 edition - Ho ho ho, it's Santa's younger brother Derrick here to do all of the jobs that Nick can't be bothered with this holiday season! Oh, my big brother always shows…
Black Desert starts pre-creation for Nova and the winter season - The latest patch for Black Desert is all about pre-creation. Do you want to create your Nova character now ahead of the full class release? Go to town. Do you…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 301: Hurtling into Oblivion - Justin and Bree discuss Elder Scrolls Online's Gates of Oblivion, Crimson Desert, Elite Odyssey, Ark 2, Black Desert, WoW Shadowlands, PSO2, LOTRO, EverQuest, and FFXIV, with adventures in WoW, SWTOR,…
Massively OP’s 2020 Awards: Best MMO Character Customization - MassivelyOP’s end-of-the-year awards for 2020 continue today with... what's this? A brand-new award? Yep! This year we're debuting a new formal award for Best MMO Character Customization. After all, making…
Massively OP’s 2020 Awards: Most Improved MMO - MassivelyOP’s end-of-the-year awards for 2020 continue today with our award for Most Improved MMO, which was awarded to Black Desert last year. All live MMOs, regardless of release date, were…
Black Desert unveils new Nova class, Pearl Abyss takes over western PC publishing - [AL:BDO]The digital Calpheon Ball has come and gone for Black Desert, and it's brought with it the reveal of a devastating-looking new class. Say hello to Nova, the Eternally Blazing…
Ask Mo: The hits and misses of MassivelyOP’s 2020 predictions - Last December, when we sat down to write out our annual MMO predictions for 2020, I don't think anyone had "biggest global pandemic in a century disrupts everything and makes…
Massively OP’s 2020 Awards: Most Underrated MMO - Welcome to Massively Overpowered's formal end-of-the-year 2020 awards! Every year, we poll our writers on the best and worst MMOs, stories, studios, and trends and assign awards to the winners…
Black Desert launches the Outlaw Zone on mobile, adds Stormbringer Karanda and new moles to PC - It's another week in Black Desert, which means a couple of the game's versions have had a few new updates. Most of these updates, as one would expect, are about…
End-of-Year Eleven: The healthiest live MMOs going into 2021 - It is only natural that, when you are shopping around for a different MMORPG to play, to consider the health of potential play candidates. Your mind may not term it…
Pearl Abyss plans to reveal Crimson Desert during this year’s Game Awards - If you wanted a clear-cut reason to watch The Game Awards on December 10th, Pearl Abyss is happy to oblige: It's planning on releasing its first gameplay trailer for Crimson…
Desert Oasis: Black Desert Online should be 2020’s MMO of the year - Well here we are again, heading to the end of another year. And while many are eager for this year to end, us gamers have a tradition that can't be…
Black Desert pushes back its digital Calpheon Ball as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic - COVID-19 is such a threat, it's even causing digital events to be delayed. According to an announcement post from Black Desert, preventative measures that are required to fight back a…
Desert Oasis: So, is the PlayStation 5 an upgrade for Black Desert on console? - Way back in August, I did a first impression of Black Desert for the PlayStation 4. It was a solid game, but I couldn't stick to it. The game just…
Black Desert announces the season server’s end date on PC, brings back Field of Valor on mobile - This new week in Black Desert and Black Desert Mobile doesn't bring a whole lot to their respective games, but there are still some things of note for both PC…
Black Desert brings basilisk fights and shared character equipment on PC, Guardian Awakening on console - This week in Black Desert sees some more events and a unique new feature for PC and the Awakening of the Guardian as well as Succession for several classes. It's…
Pearl Abyss Q3 2020: EVE Online’s revenues are up 45% YOY, Crimson Desert reveal coming in December - It appears it's been hard for many gaming companies to top or match their revenue earlier this year when many customers were captive audiences, but that doesn't mean every MMORPG…
Black Desert Mobile announces the Grand Desert expansion and plans for a one-year anniversary - There are a whole lot of future plans for Black Desert Mobile waiting in the wings, chief of which being some new content in the form of the Grand Desert…
Black Desert kicks off Thanksgiving events and announces a digital Calpheon Ball - As you can tell from the header image, the Black Spirit -- and by extension Black Desert -- loves Thanksgiving. If you love Thanksgiving, too, then you can join in…
Wisdom of Nym: The roots of Final Fantasy XIV’s awful housing problem aren’t clear - Let's start with a simple sentiment that I think absolutely everyone can get behind. However solid the underlying mechanics for decorating houses may be, Final Fantasy XIV's housing is a…
Black Desert launches $29.99 ‘prestige’ editions for console today - [AL:BDO]As promised, Pearl Abyss is today launching its Prestige edition for MMORPG Black Desert, making it one of the few modern MMORPGs to actually get a proper console box edition,…
Kakao Games’ Q3 2020 investor report suggests late 2021 western launch for Elyon Ascent Infinite Realm - Kakao is a hard company to cover, largely because the gaming segment we care about is only a tiny piece of the sprawling Korean company's portfolio, which ranges from music…
Black Desert on PC kicks off mount and enhancement boost events and adjusts enhanced skills - The PC version of Black Desert is once more busy with events and adjustments in its latest update, which should be online by the time you're reading this. Of note…
Desert Oasis: Is Black Desert’s lore actually a time-travel narrative? - In the last edition of Desert Oasis, I wrote about an absolutely dismal week in Black Desert that ultimately ended with my taking a sabbatical from the game's endless grind.…
Vague Patch Notes: The wax and wane of MMOs and genres - I started writing for Massively-that-was in October of 2009. That was 11 years ago. Oh... oh my word, no, that was so long ago. More than a decade. I have…
The Stream Team: Black Desert brings Halloween to Florin - [AL:BDO]Black Desert Online's Halloween quests in Florin have started today, and Massively OP's MJ is eager to participate. It appears a curse has turned villagers into dolls! Other mysteries also…
Black Desert Mobile kicks off Halloween, Black Desert PC adds more Halloween, naval fame, and a new horse - It's double the seasonal fun in both Black Desert and Black Desert Mobile as the Halloween season comes to the mobile edition and the spooky festivities continue to roll on…
A Black Desert node war bug dumped quadrillions of silver into the North American servers - Protip: If your Black Desert guild mysteriously manages to pull quadrillions of silver in tax from the guild incentive system, maybe just log out and report it instead of splitting…
Black Desert begins Halloween on PC and Guardian pre-creation on console - The middle of the week once more is offering up another gaggle of Black Desert updates, this time for both the PC version of the game and the console version.…
Black Desert releases its ‘Prestige Edition’ on November 6 - Ladies, gentlemen, and those who fall into neither category, we implore you to look to your physical video game collection. Does it mark you as a person of rare taste…
Black Desert Mobile adds the Tamer class, Black Desert PC kicks off Halloween - The month of October brings with it another gaggle of treats for players of Black Desert and Black Desert Mobile, with both games introducing new things to enjoy like a…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 292: Burning down the Amazon gameforest - Justin and Bree discuss Crucible, Star Trek Online, Black Desert, FFXIV, Star Citizen, WoW, MMO Halloween, and new games from CCP and Zenimax, with adventures in LOTRO, WoW, SWG Legends,…
Black Desert confirms that it will be compatible with the PlayStation 5 - Let's face it, no one likes having to deal with the fact that the communities for every version of Black Desert are locked to individual platforms. But the game is…
O’dyllita is live for Black Desert PC as console launches its first Succession classes - [AL:BDO]The O'dyllita region is finally open for PC players of Black Desert today! Readers will recall that the high-level area was postponed back in 2019 and then resurfaced in March…
Desert Oasis: The worst week I’ve ever had in Black Desert Online - This week, I was planning a third entry on my adventures in Black Desert Mobile, but a few very exasperating incidents happened to me in Black Desert PC last week,…
Black Desert confirms backwards compatibility with PS5 and Xbox Series X - So, you like to play Black Desert on console, but you also are excited for the next generation of consoles that are coming soon. What do you do? You don't…
Black Desert dates O’dyllita release for October 7, adds Garmoth’s Nest to the Red Battlefield and new events - It's all about the PC version of Black Desert in this week's bundle of news and updates from the game, so if you're a player of the MMORPG on the…
Desert Oasis: Black Desert Mobile is not just a mobile copy of Black Desert - Last week, I taught my freshman classes basic email etiquette. In a time of distance learning, it's an important skill to teach. We looked into why etiquette matters, writing professionally,…
Black Desert fights Hadum’s influence on mobile, adds Awakening and Succession for Hashashin on PC, and brings PvP changes on console - An alternate headline for this story could just as easily been "Everything Black Desert got content," but I think Bree would dislike me if I tried to pull that off.…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 288: ArcheAge again - Justin, Bree, and Mia discuss ArcheAge 2, TERA, LOTRO, Wizard101, Corepunk, Raph Koster's new MMO, and Star Citizen, with adventures in WoW Classic, SWTOR, Black Desert, Echo of Soul, SWG…
Massively Overthinking: Contemplating in-game advertising - Last week, EA announced that it would finally be removing all the in-game ads from UFC4 after a few days of intense complaining from fans. Not only were the ads…
Black Desert counts 40M players as its PC version buffs music and adds new Shai instruments - Pearl Abyss has officially turned 10 years old today, and it's brought some hard liquor to the party. Did I say hard liquor? I meant hard numbers, which might be…
Desert Oasis: Checking back in on Black Desert Mobile, almost one year later - It's been a while since I checked in on Black Desert Mobile for Desert Oasis. In fact, I haven't really played it since my initial first impressions. I did play it…
Shadow Arena’s latest roster addition is the swift and dexterous ninja Sura - You know what Shadow Arena needs? More ninjas! This was likely said by someone while banging fists on the table, and that noise has been heard and answered by the…
Black Desert is adding a tier 10 pegasus mount, new Red Battlefield map, and new world boss - A post made to the Pearl Abyss' Black Desert Global Lab is offering up some enticing new pieces of content for Black Desert players, particularly if those players have ever…
Hands-on with the four Vs of Nexon’s mobile MMO V4 - One of my friends once said to me, "Carlo, I always see you play those random 6 out of 10 MMOs, and I don't get why. You know the game's…
Black Desert rolls out Hashashin to PC and mobile, teases O’dyllita for October 7 - It's Hashashin day across much of the Black Desert universe, as the new toon is out and playable on both PC and mobile today. "Hashashin is the 20th class to…
Black Desert details September seasonal servers for PC and asks players to fill out a survey - Did you miss out on the last time Black Desert had seasonal servers? Fret not, because they're coming back on Wednesday, September 2nd, and the devs at Pearl Abyss have…
Massively Overthinking: The MMOs we intentionally avoid - A few weeks back, I read a Twitter thread about people who avoid specific games and types of games, and the folks chiming in were all over the map. Some…
Black Desert begins Hashashin pre-creation as console announces a physical edition - [AL:BDO]It's a big day for Black Desert as the Hashashin pre-creation event has kicked off ahead of the class' formal launch on PC next week. "Get ready for Hashashin who…
Massively Overthinking: Mixing and matching the best crafting systems in the MMO ‘verse - Longtime MOP reader Ken from Chicago recently asked us to talk about crafting - but he didn't want us to just list off the best crafting systems. Instead, he wanted…
The Soapbox: Stubborn MMO players are sleeping on autoplay mechanics - Autoplay, huh. What is it good for? Absolutely something! I'll say it again: There is value in autoplay. It's got such a bad reputation in the western MMO community. From…
Black Desert drops class balancing patch on PC, plans Hashashin pre-creation next week - [AL:BDO]While it's been relatively quiet over in the Black Desert console versions, PC and mobile are hopping today. On the PC side, you're either going to be super enthused about…
Black Desert’s Shadow Arena unlocks all heroes this month and adds a new one - "A new warrior eyes the battlefield, wielding her battle axe and shield of revenge." While we here at Massively OP only have battle axes of indigestion and shields of Netflix…
Pearl Abyss Q2 2020: EVE Online is doing great, NA/EU drives 48% of company revenues - Pearl Abyss dropped its second quarter financial report today: The South Korean MMO company saw its revenues decline ever so slightly, down to 131.7 billion KRW (111 million USD), representing…
Black Desert revamps Padix Island, brings out a Glimmering Earring, and starts a beach party for beer - It's Wednesday, and that means it's patch day for Black Desert, and in this case that also means you can head down to Terrmian Beach to get plastered. Yes, that's…
Black Desert celebrates the 2020 Termian Water Park grand opening with an in-game event - Few things say "summertime" quite like a water park, and seeing as how the pandemic is kind of killing the joy a real-life water park's opening would bring this season,…
Massively Overthinking: Changing the mindset of the MMO genre - I recently saw a journalism professor argue that generating a widespread thinking shift in an entire profession can take decades. "You have to keep making the case in different ways,"…
Desert Oasis: Our guide to playing Black Desert’s season servers - The introduction of Black Desert's season servers this summer was my chocolate-in-peanut-butter moment of the year. I didn't know the combination would be so good! Other players seem to think…
Black Desert Mobile adds a new tower defense mode, PC lets players graduate season servers early - Black Desert and Black Desert Mobile both have some things going on in the news today, as is very often the case for these games, so allow me to once…
Black Desert addresses caster-heavy Conquest Wars, new regions, and gear progress walls - We're back once again with another set of Black Desert Heidel Ball player questions. Who knew that we'd be getting so much mileage out of an image of the Black…
Jukebox Heroes: The ultimate guide to MMORPG music - It's been a long, strange, and wonderful journey to explore MMORPG music with you here in Jukebox Heroes. And while I am anticipating many years to come of future soundtrack…
Perfect Ten: Ten MMOs I was very wrong about - Here's a not-actually-very-secret bit of honesty about the industry that I have been working in for about a decade now: I am not actually right all of the time. I…
This week’s Black Desert update is Cursed, literally, as the Netflix collab begins - Cursed by Netflix transmedia synergy, that is! Yes, as promised, the Netflix fantasy series Cursed has a big crossover with the Black Desert franchise rolling out this week. When it…
Black Desert’s summer server season will end early to accommodate the PC Hashashin launch - [AL:BDO]So Black Desert has some good news and bad news this past week. And the bad news leads in to the good news, so let's do that first: Pearl Abyss…
Here’s 22 minutes of video explaining what we know about Elyon’s beta version so far - Beta testing for Elyon, aka The Game Formerly Known as Ascent: Infinite Realm, has been ongoing in Korea for a little while now while the game's western website has been…
Shadow Arena confirms its arrival to consoles and unveils its 12th hero - I’m no industry expert, but I bet I know what the gaming consoles need: more battle royale games! This brain wave is being shared by the devs at Pearl Abyss,…
Desert Oasis: Black Desert’s outlook in the lead-up to Crimson Desert - I've played nothing but the Black Desert season servers in the last month. It's such a fresh breath of air, and it's something I didn't even know I wanted. There's…
Black Desert offers free play event ahead of transmedia synergy collab with Netflix’s Cursed - So here's one I did not expect to see in my inbox this morning: Pearl Abyss has apparently teamed up with Netflix for a Black Desert collab with Cursed, which…
Black Desert adds a tactics-based PvE arena, a summertime quiz, and a trial that gives away the game - Free game alert, though with a bit of an asterisk: Black Desert is offering a free trial starting now until August 5th that can end with players getting a full…
Black Desert player opens over 1,000 Oasis Dream Chests during a livestream - Remember when Black Desert had the Find Your Oasis event where players could earn Oasis Dream Chests full of stuff? How many of those were you able to claim during…
Black Desert adds new PvP server, revamps main quest rewards for new levelers - [AL:BDO]Black Desert's PC updates almost flew under the radar this week because they had no tentpole feature or event, but there's still plenty to do, especially if you're a PvP…
Massively Overthinking: How much should MMOs cost in 2020? - MOP reader Castagere recently wrote to us with a nod to the growing sentiment across the gaming industry that might indicate a shift in the overall cost of a major…
Black Desert console players are getting the new Hashashin class first - Well, this is a decision that will no doubt draw forth reasoned discourse and carefully formatted reactions: Console players of Black Desert will be the first players in the Western…
Desert Oasis: How should Black Desert handle class balance? - Last week, I wrote about how the recent tamer changes in Black Desert resulted in a write-in campaign. Ever since then, I've had game balance on my mind. Class balance…
Black Desert adds the Skill UI update and new male hairstyles, mobile adds Awakenings and the Wardrobe - Black Desert is a game of two parts for me: wondering what skills to use and trying to muddle through its weird UI, and making sure my character looks impossibly…
Black Desert rounds up patch updates, Conquest War winners, and upcoming features in a video - Care for a bundle of the most recent Black Desert goings-on in a video? Pearl Abyss has you covered with the CM Newsround, a possibly new video series that offers…
Black Desert shares another round of player questions from the Heidel Ball - Earlier in June, the devs of Black Desert shared a big ol' list of player questions from the digital Heidel Ball event. But if you thought that was the last…
Massive Black Desert nerfs prompt tamer players to action through a letter writing campaign - As we've previously covered, Black Desert was updated with the PvP changed originally touted during the Heidel Ball last month. Tamer players (including me) were not happy seeing a whopping…
Black Desert brings class balance changes, new events, and new gear for seasonal servers - Ready for things to change for your favorite Black Desert class? No? Well too bad, because today's update applies those changes. Also this was stuff that was discussed during this…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 278: Patchy McPatchface - Justin and Bree discuss LOTRO, DDO, Pantheon, SWTOR, BDO, and Blade & Soul, with adventures in SWG Legends, LOTRO, and WoW, plus mailbag topics on ship combat and inventory annoyances.
Desert Oasis: Putting Black Desert’s music system in context with other MMOs - Back in the day, I used to really be into the ukulele. I used to play in open mics and sold them as my day job! But that was a…
Black Desert adds the cutest lil furry critters you ever did see in Papua Crinea update - OK, so who had "adorable mammals in Black Desert" on their 2020 bingo cards? Because that is what you're getting with today's update as the tropical Papua Crinea island has…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 277: All the wonder in the ‘verse - Justin and Bree discuss LOTRO, WoW Classic, Black Desert, Star Wars Squadrons, DC Universe Online, Torchlight III, and Anarchy Online, with adventures in RIFT, SWG Legends, and The Outer Worlds,…
Black Desert’s new Q&A covers everything from dancing and new classes to inflation and endgame - Apparently, Heidel Ball was a big success for Black Desert this year, such that Pearl Abyss couldn't even answer all the questions players had sent in for the Q&A. Rather…
The Stream Team: Starting Black Desert’s summer season server - [AL:BDO]With the opening on Black Desert's summer season server today, Massively OP's MJ decided to give another class a try. She is now ready to play her newly created Lahn.…
Black Desert’s season servers are live today on PC as mobile picks up gear awakening - Black Desert players were understandably bummed over the delay of season servers last week, so we bring good news today: They're finally here. "The wait is over and Season Servers…
Black Desert battle royale spinoff Shadow Arena adds new hero, bans cheaters - If things are getting a bit samey for you in the standalone Black Desert battle royale game Shadow Arena, then the latest update might just shake things up for you.…
Massively Overthinking: Do you keep MMOs installed for the login freebies? - MOP reader Styopa proposed this fun topic for Massively Overthinking this week, prompted, he said, by Standing Stone Games' recent promotions for Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons and…
Desert Oasis: Exploring Black Desert’s mysterious O’dylitta region - With the Heidel ball now a memory, there's much to look forward to in Black Desert Online. Along with a new class and a variety of other features, players can look…
Black Desert delays season servers on PC, adds Margoria on console, as Shadow Arena sees 5K concurrent players - Black Desert's PC version is gearing up for summer, which means a deluge of events under the "Waiting for Summer" banner. Players will be collecting Fughar's lost crystal shards and…
Black Desert staff help throw a wedding for stuck-at-home players - [AL:BDO]Turns out Guild Wars 2 wasn't the only MMORPG to host an honest to goodness player wedding this week. Kakao Games let us know today that it helped a pair…
Black Desert recaps the Heidel Ball announcements in a Twitter thread - You're a busy person. You've got things to do, monsters to slay, countless upgrades to chase, and nodes to war over. You missed Black Desert's digital Heidel Ball and all…
Black Desert writes a season server guide and opens character pre-registration, mobile adds New Valencia - If you're among the Black Desert players eager to find out about the upcoming season server type that was announced at this year's Heidel Ball, then you're in luck. The…
Desert Oasis: Black Desert’s Hashashin, new server types, PvP changes, and new regions - I would be lying if I told you that I stayed up late this weekend just so I could hear the executive producer Jae-Hee Kim talk about Black Desert's balance…
Desert Oasis: Recapping Black Desert’s Heidel Ball, from backstage to balancing - One of the complications of playing playing Black Desert is that it operates on UTC. Since I live in California, aka the center of the universe (I'm kidding), I always…
Desert Oasis: Rethinking the Black Desert grindspot debate - Almost a year ago, I penned a column on grindspot etiquette in MMORPGs. Specifically, I wrote about the commonly accepted etiquette when it comes to grinding in Black Desert. It…
Black Desert has a horsey event and a schedule for the digital Heidel Ball, mobile has an Enraged Red Nose - It's horsey time in Black Desert! Technically, any time can be horsey time, but the latest update has a very horse-specific event as well as a new system that lets…
Massively Overthinking: The more things change in MMOs, the more they stay the same - A while back, in the wake of our Desert Oasis column on Black Desert's guild system, Carlo and I were discussing guild wars - actual wars between guilds, not Guild…
Black Desert spin-off Shadow Arena has just hopped into Steam early access - [AL:SA]If Crucible isn't cutting it for you, Shadow Arena would definitely like to have a go at your time right about now. The Pearl Abyss "hero action battle royale," which…
Black Desert just patched in a full-fledged music composition system for the Shai - [AL:BDO]Remember when the Shai launched in Black Desert's PC version last year, and everyone was enthralled with her instrument-wielding bard-like skills? Well, this week the Shai is getting even more…
Desert Oasis: Exploring Black Desert’s guild system, from contracts to drama - Guilds: one of the quintessential social features of an MMO. Along with grinding, crafting, and partying up, guilds are just one of those things that are permanent features in the…
Pearl Abyss Q1 2020 financials: Black Desert, EVE Online revenues hold steady - We've got Pearl Abyss' financial report for the first quarter of 2020, and in common with so many gaming companies right now it was a solid quarter indeed. The South…
Black Desert moves Heidel Ball online, adds Striker on mobile and events on PC - You are cordially invited to fire up Black Desert or Black Desert Mobile, check out some of the new stuff each game is releasing, and then step into a global…
Xbox X developers include Blizzard, Bungie, Pearl Abyss, and Square Enix - With the console still on track to release sometime during the holiday season later this year, the Xbox Series X is preparing a huge alpha strike upon gamers' appetites from…
Interview: Black Desert on crossplay, the engine, and the future of mobile - [AL:BDO]A few weeks ago, we chatted up Pearl Abyss' lead producer Jaehee Kim about some pressing Black Desert questions. Now, I'm not one to waste a golden opportunity when I'm…
Desert Oasis: Deep-diving Black Desert’s Musa and Maewha classes - I think I may be in the minority of people who enjoy being home all day. It gives that much needed time to just recenter myself with some yoga, the…
Black Desert kicks off Springfest on PC, adds a new mercantile system on mobile, introduces the Garmoth guild boss on console - [AL:BDO]Everything Black Desert has got something new to try out, whether you prefer PC, mobile, or console. Strap yourselves in, friends. There's plenty to cover. The PC version has added…
Shadow Arena launches into early access on May 21 - The date has finally arrived for the start of general access to Shadow Arena! And we mean that quite literally. The date for when everyone can get in has arrived.…
Black Desert boosts rewards, adds new systems; Black Desert Mobile goes to a secret place - There's a bunch of new stuff in the latest patch to Black Desert. New reusable consumable items? Sure thing, you can assemble some concentrated spirit essences. A new skill for…
Desert Oasis: How I’m progressing through Black Desert without spending a dime - I've been playing Black Desert for quite a while, and in that time I've made a bit of cash and built up a stable of characters I'm pretty happy with.…
Black Desert issues a juice challenge, Black Desert Mobile adds tier 5 pets and celebrates strawberries - There are some fresh updates to Black Desert and Black Desert Mobile, and once again they're full of events for players to enjoy. This time around, they're focused on juice,…
Shadow Arena drops hero video, plans big changes ahead of final beta - With its final beta coming up in just a week, Shadow Arena studio Pearl Abyss is ramping up the hype machine. Today's hook is in the form of a new…
Massively Overthinking: What generates trust in MMO crowdfunding for you? - Last week, an anonymous game developer posted on the MMORPG Reddit about the broader MMO playerbase's frustrations with crowdfunding. See, this dev says he's been working on an MMO and…
Black Desert brings a water festival and a golden goose event to PC, barbecue missions to mobile - Black Desert and Black Desert Mobile are once more just full of events for players to take part in, including a water festival, golden goose, and refer-a-friend promotion for the…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 266: Feline fine for April Fools - Justin, Bree, Carlo, and Ben discuss April Fools, Elyon, Elder Scrolls Online, Black Desert, RuneScape, City of Heroes, World of Warships, SWG Legends, LOTRO, WoW Classic, Legends of Aria, shortie…
Desert Oasis: A guide to getting started with Black Desert’s lifeskill system - For pretty much all of my MMO-gaming career, I avoided anything involving crafting, gathering, and cooking. If the problem can't be solved with a weapon in hand, I stay out…
Black Desert’s guild event gets exploited all up in its face - When there's a will, there's a way. And when the devs overlook something that can be abused, there's an exploit waiting to happen. Black Desert's recent Afuaru's Guild Event didn't…
Black Desert gets an April Fools’ event on PC, Drieghan on console, and new events on mobile - Whew! The down side of having so many different versions of Black Desert is that when an update day rains, it pours. And it is raining updates for various Black…
Grab a key for Shadow Arena’s final beta, courtesy of Pearl Abyss and MOP - [AL:SA]As we've been covering, Pearl Abyss is gearing up for a 2020 release of Shadow Arena, the standalone battle royale based on Black Desert's 2019 game mode. Now, the South…
Massively Overthinking: What do you hoard in MMORPGs? - Last week, online gamers made headlines for hoarding toilet paper. No, not in real life - in Fallout 76. Way to embrace the apocalypse, guys. I've had hoarding on the…
Perfect Ten: The stages of the MMO life cycle - To this day, no one has a quote as useful on the subject of life and death as E. B. White: "We're born, we live a little while, we die."…
Black Desert’s Find Your Oasis event brings boosts to drops and lots of goodies to chase on PC - "During dire times, a boost in morale helps greatly to endure and overcome," opens the announcement from Black Desert, and in the interest of providing that morale boost, the PC…
The Dark Knight arrives to Black Desert Mobile with today’s update - No, you can't be Batman, but what you can be in today's Black Desert Mobile update is a lady who wears a pauldron shaped like a rose swinging a huge…
Black Desert brings a spring event and more anniversary celebrations to PC, Maehwa class to console - If you like your Black Desert with a whole lot of little in-game events, then the most recent update to the MMORPG on PC is ready to aim a party…
Desert Oasis: How Pearl Abyss can guarantee Shadow Arena succeeds - Hands down, Shadow Arena is my favorite battle royale. But just because I've written so many glowing words of accolades for the game does not mean I'm not worried about…
Black Desert Mobile brings the Dark Knight on March 24 and hands out goodies to new and returning players - There are a few things going on in Black Desert Mobile right now. Or happening soon. Really, it's kind of a busy time for the pocket MMORPG in general, what…
Black Desert Mobile releases Ascension and preps for the Dark Knight, PC version continues its anniversary - There's a whole lot new in the world of Black Desert. There's updates for mobile that have brought Ascension for the game's classes, the near-arrival of the Dark Knight, and…
Desert Arena: First impressions of Shadow Arena, the Diet Black Desert of battle royales - Did someone just cast Arcane Echo? Because this'll be our second piece on Shadow Arena this week, following its deep-dive by our PvP columnist Sam earlier this week in Fight…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 262: Holly Holly oxen free - Justin and Bree discuss Daybreak's Holly Longdale's departure, City of Heroes' Homecoming video ban, PlanetSide 2's Escalation, Black Desert's birthday, Cryptic's chat nuke, Guild Wars 2's next episode, changing MMO…
Fight or Kite: Shining a light on Pearl Abyss’ Shadow Arena - Last week, Pearl Abyss allowed players to finally jump back into its take on the battle royale craze with Shadow Arena. The game was originally planned as a part of…
Black Desert’s anniversary event, world boss, new zone, and 10.6 million characters - A very happy birthday to Black Desert, which is celebrating its fourth anniversary here in the west. The popular fantasy sandbox put out an infographic for the occasion, saying that…
Black Desert patches in crossplay for both Xbox One and PlayStation 4 - If you were hoping that today's crossplay patch for Black Desert would allow all platforms to group together under one banner, you would be wrong... by a small margin. PC players…
The Stream Team: A Black Desert birthday - [AL:BDO]What? You want more reasons to party? Well Black Desert brings you its fourth birthday! And Massively OP's MJ thinks that's reason enough. Even the black spirit is ready to…
Black Desert Mobile adds in the North Mediah region - If you're going on a trip, you can bring Black Desert Mobile with you... and perhaps ironically, the game itself is bringing you on a trip to the newly added North Mediah…
Black Desert’s ominous O’dylitta update is launching ‘later this year’ - [AL:BDO]Remember back at E3 and Heidel Ball last year, when in the midst of the hoopla around Black Desert's Shai and Great Expedition expansion Pearl Abyss mentioned that the O’dyllita…
Choose My Adventure: Black Desert should have gotten MMO of the Year - I can admit when I'm wrong. It happens often enough, that's for damn sure, and part of learning from a mistake is admitting that one was made in the first…
Black Desert prepares to shoot the Archer onto the PlayStation 4 on March 4 - The Archer! A dramatic opponent stepping out of the shadows in Black Desert! Or remaining in the shadows; it doesn't actually matter, the whole point of having a ranged weapon is…
The Stream Team: Stepping into Shadow Arena’s closed beta - [AL:SA]There's a new Battle Royale on the scene today-- but it's not really new. The once-mode of Black Desert Online, Shadow Arena kicks off its closed beta today, and it…
PSA: Black Desert is zero dollars on PC right now, go get some - Free MMOs! Getcher free MMOs here! Yes, Black Desert goes on sale for PC quite a bit - everyone knows it's the cash shop that gets ya anyway. But it's…
Shadow Arena’s closed beta test has officially begun – are you trying it out? - [AL:SA]Shadow Arena, Pearl Abyss' one-time battle royale mode for MMORPG Black Desert, officially hits closed beta today as a standalone title. "Shadow Arena pits 40 players against each other in…
Desert Oasis: Understanding Black Desert’s Black Spirit - When Black Desert first released stateside back in 2016, I wasn't interested. At the time, I was deeply invested in running Guild Wars 2's fractals, and I wasn't in the market…
Black Desert Mobile gives Ascension to all classes, Black Desert PC gets Succession for Mystic and Striker - My kingdom for version parity. But until then, there's a whole lot of Black Desert news on all fronts, from the mobile version getting Ascended classes, to the console version…
Xbox Series X offers a look at ‘the next generation of gaming’ - The Xbox Series X, Microsoft's latest entry in the popular Xbox line of consoles, is heading our way later this year. Despite a name that must have been created by…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 260: New World needs new ideas - Justin and Bree discuss Project Nova, Final Fantasy XIV, PAX East and the coronavirus, WoW subs, New World, and Daybreak, with mailbag topics on positive MMO stories, rogue servers, binge…
Pearl Abyss America CEO talks about the MMO market and Black Desert Online’s success - It's a good sign that Black Desert Online has been not just a flash in the pan but an ongoing success in the MMO field even as that field has winnowed…
Ship of Heroes grants a look a new Martial Arts melee powerset in a video - It takes a special kind of superhero to go into a fight against the forces superheroes face with nothing but your fists and feet, but that's the modus operandi for…
Interview: Pearl Abyss on Shadow Arena’s Black Desert origins, esports, audience, and more - [AL:SA]Along with battle royale fans and Black Desert players, we've been keeping an eye on Pearl Abyss' Shadow Arena, the one-time battle royale mode in Black Desert that was plucked…
Black Desert is getting crossplay support for Xbox One and PS4 on March 4 - It turns out that Pearl Abyss wasn't quite finished with the huge Black Desert rollouts, even after a 2019 that saw the PC game come to PS4, Xbox One, and…
Black Desert’s latest PC patch adds Lahn Succession and begins the four year anniversary - Do you prefer to whip at enemies with a Pendulum weapon instead of a pair of chain swords as a Lahn in Black Desert? You're in luck, because the game's…
Black Desert Mobile brings Nouver to the world as the newest boss - Ah, world bosses. Why do we have to bother them, again? Black Desert Mobile is encouraging players at level 55 and above to take on Nouver, the newest world boss…
Grab a key for Shadow Arena’s February 27 closed beta, courtesy of Pearl Abyss and MOP - If you were a big fan of Black Desert's Shadow Arena when it joined the MMO and then was removed last year, then you're going to want to pay attention…
Pearl Abyss had a strong Q4 2019, but CCP’s EVE-spinoff Project Nova is officially canceled - South Korean gaming giant Pearl Abyss is on the rise once again - and unlike many of its mobile-focused competitors, PC MMORPGs and the west accounts for a respectable chunk…
Black Desert patches in Witch and Wizard succession skills, plus a wacky bee event - Apiphobes should stay the heck away from Black Desert right about now, as the PC version of the game is under siege by bees. Just kidding, it's under siege by…
Valentine’s Day 2020 across the MMO universe - Per tradition, we've been covering the launch of Valentine's Day events in MMOs and MMORPGs over the last couple of weeks, but tomorrow is the big day and we can…
Desert Oasis: Finding the plot in Black Desert’s story - In our preview of Black Desert's new Guardian class, one of the more surprising conversations to come out of the comments was the opinion on the game's story. Some saw…
MMO Business Roundup: Kakao’s controlling stake in XLGAMES, Steam’s new record, Xbox’s games-as-a-service - Welcome back to another roundup of MMO (and MMO-adjacent) industry news! Kakao Games: Kakao has snapped up a controlling stake in XLGAMES, having acquired 53% of the company's shares. Kakao…
Choose My Adventure: Nearing a point of Lahn mastery in Black Desert - In the last Choose My Adventure column, I mentioned how the Lahn in Black Desert felt an awful lot like a fighting game character insofar as working out the right…
Black Desert’s standalone battle royale title Shadow Arena enters closed beta on February 27 - Can a game really get a second chance to make a first impression? We may well find out once Shadow Arena, the standalone battle royale game that first debuted as…
Black Desert’s Kunoichi rolls out to PS4, awakens on Xbox One, and drinks all the wine - It's patch day once again for console players of Black Desert, as this week Pearl Abyss has finally added the Kunoichi to the PS4 version of the game, not just…
Perfect Ten: When celebs crossed paths with MMOs - Even as the world continues to turn to and normalize gaming as a respectable hobby, there's still a lingering stigma of playing online titles as a supremely nerdy thing. Whenever…
Black Desert: The Guardian awakens, Valentine’s Day begins, and players raise money for charity - If you happened to miss our Desert Oasis piece on Black Desert's Guardian awakening last week, today is the day to get caught up, as Pearl Abyss and Kakao have…
Black Desert Mobile opens the five-player Field of Valor PvM instance for a limited time - It's just you and four other stout screen smushers versus a horde of nasty beasties. It's the Field of Valor and it's available in Black Desert Mobile, but only for…
Choose My Adventure: Falling in love with the Lahn in Black Desert - As much as I was hoping for some time with the Guardian that I pre-made ahead of the class’ arrival, the Choose My Adventure voting public’s will be done, and…
Massively Overthinking: The undeath of the MMORPG genre - Last week, there was a provocative thread on the MMORPG subreddit that subverted the tired idea that the genre is "dead." It's not, u/Selphea argued - but it is undead.…
The Sorceress is now live in Black Desert Mobile - Live in Black Desert Mobile today is yet another class players on PC are plenty familiar with: The Sorceress. "The Sorceress is a unique mix of magic and melee. Utilizing…
Desert Oasis: Hands-on with Black Desert’s new Guardian awakening - Wow, that was fast. Kakao and Pearl Abyss just released the Guardian last week, and we're already gearing up for awakening her. Just take a peek at the Black Desert…
Choose My Adventure: Comparing the cash shops of Black Desert Mobile and Villagers & Heroes - I had originally intended this piece to focus on playtime in Villagers & Heroes, but I didn't get in enough to do it justice, so that'll have to wait. The…
Massively Overthinking: The one about MMORPG content roadmaps - You know what word I love to hear from MMORPG developers? Roadmap. If you're a millennial or older, you surely remember roadtrip life before widespread GPS - sitting in a…
The Stream Team: Giving Guardian a go in BDO - [AL:BDO]Massively OP's MJ has never been a big fan of melee classes, but Black Desert Online's Valkyrie has been an exception. Can lightning strike twice with the MMO's new Guardian?…
Black Desert’s new axe-wielding Guardian is now live along with her launch events - [AL:BDO]The Guardian has officially joined Black Desert on PC here in the west as of today, wielding her trademark axe and shield to kick some enemy butt. Kakao's patch notes…
Black Desert Mobile adds GvG Siege Wars and prepares for the arrival of the Sorceress class - It's a bit of what's new and a bit of what's next for Black Desert Mobile fans as the latest update has brought new content for guilds and solo players…
Choose My Adventure: Villagers & Heroes on mobile feels like a true themepark MMO (for better or worse) - Choose My Mobile Adventure has changed locales from the Black Desert on over to the world of Villagers & Heroes, a game that has sat firmly on my “meaning to…
Black Desert’s PC roadmap dates Guardian Awakening, more Succession skills, and new continents - While players of Black Desert already had an idea of what was to come thanks to a content preview, there weren't many release dates to go by. A recent content…
Desert Oasis: First impressions of Black Desert’s new Guardian class - Remember that Futurama episode where Fry, Kip, and Zaf Branbigan got stranded on a planet full of amazons and were sentenced to death by crushed pelvises? I wouldn't be surprised…
Black Desert Guardian pre-creation has begun on PC as the Dark Knight snags succession skills - It's patch day across Black Desert! Really, there are so many versions, it's almost always patch day for Black Desert. Here's what's on deck today. [AL:BDO]The big news is for…
Choose My Adventure: The juggling act of Black Desert Mobile’s many advancement systems - Last week’s edition of Choose My Adventure had me genuinely impressed by how much stuff I had to manage in Black Desert Mobile, so reason would stand that playing the…
Massively Overthinking: The best MMOs of the decade - A few years back, we did a cheeky Massively Overthinking about our five favorite MMORPGs of all time. It was quite a potent list from a large segment of our…
Do you want to build a snowman? You can starting today in Black Desert - Do you want to build a snowman? Head on over to Winter Wonderland in Black Desert. PC players this week are being treated to the snowy winter-but-not-Christmas event starting with…
Guild wars come to Black Desert Mobile in today’s PvP-centric update - [AL:BDO]If Tuesday patch day feels weird to you for Black Desert Mobile still, then we get you - Wednesday's been the day for the PC game for so long that…
Choose My Adventure: Black Desert Mobile is absolutely crammed with stuff - This first-ever edition of Choose My Portable Adventure was more hotly contested than I was expecting. By the narrowest of margins – six votes, to be exact -- Black Desert…
Black Desert PS4 will release the Valkyrie class and Awakening on January 9 - Aw yeah, the console versions of Black Desert are slowly getting class parity with the PC version, bless them. Hot on the heels of the Kunoichi's arrival to Xbox on…
Black Desert announces the arrival of the Kunoichi to the Xbox on January 8 - Sure, the Ninja class in Black Desert on the Xbox is fun, but like all the classes in the game, it's gender-locked to males. On Wednesday, January 8th, female avatars…
Desert Oasis: Fun things to do in Black Desert in 2020 - [AL:BDO]With the new decade upon us, I think it's a good time to do some goal-setting for the upcoming decade. I might be biased here in the Desert Oasis column,…
Leaderboard: What was the best new MMO or online game of 2019? - Let's be honest: The last time a brand-new MMORPG really deserved a GOTY was when Black Desert ran away with it. This is why we swapped over to giving our…
Black Desert news: Mobile’s Node War pre-season, PS4’s Altar of Blood, and PC’s content update preview - Every edition of Black Desert has something new to show off heading into 2020, whether it's the start of the Node War in Black Desert Mobile, the point defense Altar…
Battle Bards Episode 159: Black Desert revisited - It’s a return to a soundtrack that, over the past couple of years, experienced a lavish remastry. This week, the Battle Bards explore the wild notes of Black Desert, a…
Perfect Ten: The best MMO updates and expansions of 2019 - The down side of doing these columns at the end of the year every year is that there's a certain challenge of writing the introductions. The up side? They're not…
MassivelyOP’s Weirdest MMO Stories of 2019: Black Desert’s unusual spokeswoman - Today we're kicking off our countdown of Massively OP's weirdest MMORPG stories of 2019! Coming in at #5 on our list is... Megan Fox on what Black Desert can do…
Fight or Kite: Totally reasonable expectations for PvP MMORPGs in 2020 - A new year is upon us, and I am especially excited this time around. The past few calendar swap-outs have been pretty stale from an MMO point of view. There…
Black Desert previews Guardian awakening, new battleground, and PvPvE zone, plus drops New Year’s events on PC - Black Desert is busy. On our side of the globe, there have been a number of events kicking off for players to dig in to, while over on the Korean…
Black Desert Mobile opens a new region and raises the level cap in its first major update - If you've been putting your nose down and playing Black Desert Mobile to the absolute max level of content instead of doing work at your job (don't worry, I won't…
Massively Overthinking: Our MMO resolutions for 2020 - We're succumbing to tradition this week as we're counting down the days until 2020. As we do at the end of every year, we've asked the Massively OP writers to…
Why I Play: How NCsoft’s Fafurion update saved Lineage 2 in 2019 - I don't know what it is about Asian MMOs, but I'm inexplicably drawn to them. Maybe it has something to do with my background; as a kids, I hung out…
Massively Overthinking: Our MMO predictions for 2020 - With 2019 drawing to a close and a new decade of MMORPGs waiting for us just a few days away, the Massively OP writing crew has regrouped for another round…
Desert Oasis: A few improvements I’d like to see in Black Desert for 2020 - Part of the reason it's been so easy to write for the Black Desert Desert Oasis column is that I really love this game. But just because I love a…
Black Desert’s new Guardian class drops January 22, with preroll on December 24 - [AL:BDO]We know, we know, this week is a little weird with Black Desert, given that the weekly updates happened on a Tuesday yesterday and not Wednesday as usual. Blame the…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 251: New World, Magic Legends, and Corepunk - Bree and Justin discuss PlanetSide Arena, New World, Magic Legends, Elder Scrolls Online, Corepunk, Black Desert Mobile, EVE Echoes, WoW, FFXIV, LOTRO, City of Heroes, and SWGL.
Black Desert drops winter holiday festivities on PC, Shai and Mystic awakenings on PS4 - [AL:BDO]You guys have noticed how Black Desert's console versions seem to go back and forth every week with updates on the road to parity, right? This week it's PS4's turn…
Battle Bards Episode 158: Winter returns - Do you feel a little… frozen this winter season? Winter is something amazing to behold, especially when video game composers attempt to capture its unique magic in their songs. Today, let the…
Ask Mo: The hits and misses of MassivelyOP’s 2019 predictions - The day has come: the day when we look back at last year's predictions for this year and see how we did. Yep, this is a tradition around these parts…
Massively Overthinking: Our favorite MMO stories of 2019 - Earlier this week, we granted our formal award for the biggest MMO story of the year. But biggest doesn't necessarily mean best or most important, never mind most clicks or…
Pearl Abyss drops new Crimson Desert screenshots and design notes - So, other than MOP's Carlo (who's absolutely losing his mind over the game), who's hyped for Pearl Abyss' Crimson Desert? Because the Korean mega-studio is cranking up the ol' hype…
The Stream Team: Playing in the Black Desert snow - [AL:BDO]Do you wanna build a snowman? That's what Black Desert Online is asking. And Massively OP's MJ yells yes! She definitely wants to get in on the new holiday event,…
Black Desert PC adds Valkyrie, Tamer Succession skills plus huge December login perks as the Valkyrie class lands on Xbox One - There's a whole lot of Valkyrie goin' on in the most recent updates to Black Desert. On the PC version, the Valkyrie and Tamer are getting their Succession skills, while…
Perfect Ten: The healthiest live MMOs at the end of 2019 - Everyone is healthy! Good news! Every game is super healthy and absolutely no one has a terminal playerbase disease that may result in the game shuttering within the next year.…
Massively OP’s 2019 Awards: Most Improved MMORPG - Massively Overpowered’s end-of-the-year 2019 awards continue today with our award for Most Improved MMORPG, which was awarded to RuneScape last year. All live MMOs, regardless of release date, were eligible for…
Black Desert Mobile has officially launched now around the globe - [AL:BDO]Pearl Abyss has officially done it: It's launched Black Desert on four total platforms now, three of them this year, now that Black Desert Mobile is officially out the door…
Black Desert’s Pearl Abyss addresses new succession skills, the Red Battlefield, and more - The devs of Black Desert have been busy collecting gobs of player questions, and now they have a number of them answered, which not only include questions from the NA/EU…
You can start downloading Black Desert Mobile right now ahead of this week’s launch - Don't get too excited yet as it's not officially playable in the US just yet, but Black Desert Mobile is now available for preloading on iOS and Android, where it's…
Desert Oasis: A critique of Black Desert’s upcoming Tamer succession - Well, it looks like successions are finally here. This month's going to be a pretty big month for Black Desert's western audience with the mobile version coming out on the…
Black Desert rolls out initial succession skills on PC, Shai and Mystic on PS4 - It's succession day in Black Desert's PC version! No, not the succession of power; the introduction of succession skills to the first batch of the game's classes, starting with the…
Crimson Desert’s lead producer talks about PvE, co-op campaigns, and trade - Our own Black Desert columnist and many of our readers have pondered aloud just what awaits players in Crimson Desert, one of several newly announced games Pearl Abyss dropped on…
Massively Overthinking: Gratitude for the MMO genre - Thanksgiving conveniently falls on a Thursday every year, which means it's the perfect topic for our regular Thursday Massively Overthinking roundtable. I've asked our writers what they're grateful for in…
Desert Oasis: A first look at Black Desert’s Dark Knight’s Succession skills - The Dark Knight holds a special place in my heart when it comes to Black Desert. She was the main reason I decided to give this game a shot way back…
Black Desert previews succession skills, begins new Mysterious Knight event - Black Desert isn't letting a little thing like Thanksgiving and Black Friday get in the way of big updates across its multiple versions. Here's what we're looking at this week…
Choose My Adventure: Pushing boundaries and building a better house in Citadel Forged with Fire - As we come to the close of our Citadel: Forged with Fire adventure, we decided to push the absolute limits of how far we could go. Considering the direction we…
The Black Desert Online battle royale spinoff Shadow Arena places a premium on leveling your skills - If there was any MMO on the market that could break into the battle royale genre in a big way, it would seem to be Black Desert Online. The game even…
Black Desert PC teases its next class and Black Desert Mobile KR is adding the Mystic - It's all about classes in this bundle of Black Desert news, which might cause some to roll their eyes, but both additions should be impressive ones. At least if you…
Black Desert teams up with anime Berserk for themey ‘grim fantasy’ questing - [AL:BDO]Anime fans, today's Black Desert PC update is for you. As teased, Kakao and Pearl Abyss have dropped some transmedia synergy all up in here in the form of a…
Black Desert Online introduces PlayStation 4 players to the world of fairy companions - There are some players who think that Black Desert Online is an intensely hardcore game that rewards nothing so much as brutal combat efficiency. Then there is the actual Black Desert Online,…
Desert Oasis: Getting hyped for Pearl Abyss’ Crimson Desert - Curbing my enthusiasm is something I constantly work on, so when the announcement for Crimson Desert made its rounds, I was both excited and cautious. I knew this was just…
G-Star 2019: Pearl Abyss fully reveals Crimson Desert, Plan 8, Shadow Arena, and DokeV - Late last night, Pearl Abyss took the stage at Pearl Abyss Connect ahead of G-Star to officially unveil a staggering four new online games that it is adding to its…
Black Desert adds a fish worth 500k Silver on PC and the Mystic Awakening on Xbox One - Every fisherman dreams of landing the Big One, but not all huge hauls are created equal. Take, for example, the Yvrug in Black Desert on PC, which is worth a…
Black Desert Mobile launches globally on December 11, hands out Black Desert for free for pre-registering - Black Desert Mobile, aka the tiny version of Black Desert, has officially gotten its full global release date. What's more, those who pre-register for the mobile game will get a…
Crimson Oasis: Speculation on Crimson Desert, Pearl Abyss’ new MMORPG - Lasst week, we reported on what looks like Pearl Abyss' power move to overtake the MMO market. With three MMOs and a Shadow Arena re-release, the Korean megacorp is playing…
Pearl Abyss announces three new MMOs: Crimson Desert, Plan 8, and DokeV - Well, it may have been a little bit spoilered by leaks around the internet, but it's official now: Pearl Abyss has just formally announced three of the games it's currently…
Black Desert optimizes its PS4 version as PC players quest for sweet, sweet pocky - This week's Black Desert patch on PC ought to make the lifeskillers and crafters happy. "We are improving the quality of life of all alchemists and chefs by adding new…
Desert Oasis: Discerning the best purchases in Black Desert’s cash shop - I've always been someone who goes against the grain, and MMOs are no exception. Part of the reason I enjoy Black Desert so much is that it goes against the definition…
Fight or Kite: PvP games to play if you’re still boycotting Blizzard - The past couple of weeks in the land of Blizzard have made for a wild ride. Some of us have extremely strong feelings and emotions regarding Blizzard and its handling…
Black Desert’s PS4 version gets the Striker and Tamer classes next week - It seems like every time I poke my nose into a Black Desert console thread, there's a minor rebellion at hand as PS4 players gripe at Xbox One updates and…
Black Desert launches Sail and Prevail event on PC, Mystic on Xbox One - PC Black Desert fans, it's time to bring your brand new boats back to port. Just kidding. It's all boats, all the time in the Kakao-run version of the game,…
Steam’s brief Halloween sale grants deals on Elite, Black Desert, and more MMOs - It might not be the absolute biggest sale of the year, but Steam's Halloween bash has quite a few surprisingly good deals for the MMO enthusiast. There isn't much time…
Black Desert Mobile celebrates soft launch and answers questions - It would seem the folks at Pearl Abyss simply told some of the community managers and developers for Black Desert Mobile to sit on a couch and just wing it.…
Massively Overthinking: Niche MMOs vs. everythingboxes - Earlier this month, veteran MMORPG designer Raph Koster announced that he's finally making a new MMORPG, with a suite of top devs and a fat stack of cash to do…
Pearl Abyss preps standalone Shadow Arena battle royale plucked from Black Desert - Remember Shadow Arena, Black Desert's short-lived PvP battle royale mode? It was announced just before 2019, released a few weeks later, and immediately devolved into hacking and banwaves until it…
Desert Oasis: First impressions of Black Desert’s Great Expedition - One of the most difficult things I've had to deal with in my time with Black Desert is sailing and boating. I've never been an economically focused player, I don't…
Miniature Desert Oasis: Hands-on with the upcoming Black Desert Mobile - Five years ago, if you'd asked me about any mobile game, I wouldn't have even considered it a real game. I'd have considered it less of a game - I'd…
Black Desert Mobile will be soft-launching to select countries on October 24 on Android - The mobile version of Black Desert is coming soon!* *depending entirely on where you live in the world and if you have a suitable Android phone. That's effectively the news…
Black Desert preps Halloween and Great Expedition on PC, awakens the Tamer on Xbox One - Black Desert Online's PC version is busy prepping its boat for the Great Expedition update coming next week, but in the meantime, there's Halloween to contend with! Yep, Spook is…
Black Desert PC sets sail for the Great Expedition update on October 23 - Arguably, the landmass of Black Desert on PC has seen way more updates and attention than the oceans have. On Wednesday, October 23rd, that's about to change with the arrival…
Desert Oasis: A guide to some of Black Desert’s world bosses and their weapons - You know what I want to be when I grow up? A boss. Not the kind that starts a business living in a car and builds it into a successful…
Black Desert for PC opens up a new area full of powerful monsters - Bringing up a character's level is all well and good, but that only really matters if you can pit that character against new challenges, right? Black Desert has introduced a…
Black Desert brings the desert dragon Nouver to the PS4 - It's time for PlayStation 4 owners of Black Desert to go on a world boss hunt. Today's update to the sandbox MMORPG has brought about the arrival of Nouver the…
Massively Uplifting: From weddings to memorials, gamers celebrate life in AQ3D, GW2, BDO, LOTRO, WoW, and more - It's an alphabet soup of good (MMO) vibes this month! While many may have returned to the school of hard knocks this fall, plenty of MMO gamers have been participating…
Black Desert adds the Tamer and Dark Rifts on Xbox One and kicks off new events on PC - Two versions of Black Desert have seen some updates recently, which raises the question: When will these games reach a level of parity that doesn't require me to have seven…
MMO Business Roundup: Nexon drops Tree of Savior, plus DUNE hires and Pearl Abyss’ new HQ - Nexon's let go yet another MMO from its publishing stable. According to MMO Culture, Nexon has announced that it's closing down its Japanese server for Tree of Savior and booting…
Black Desert Mobile opens pre-registration on iOS and Android as downloads swell to 10M - Pearl Abyss has been teasing Black Desert Mobile's global launch for the better part of 2019, promising at E3 that it'll hit global devices by the end of the year.…
Desert Oasis: A guide to the best Mediah grindspots in Black Desert - Of all the Desert Oasis articles I've written so far, by far the most fun I had was doing a guide for two of Black Desert's best grindspots - maybe…
Black Desert launches hunting and Fall Festival events on PC, opens up Valencia and class Awakening on PS4 - Today is a busy day in Black Desert Online, with some updates to both the PC version and the PS4 version that players will definitely want to take note of…
First impressions of Caravan Stories: More a gacha game than an MMORPG - When I was in college, my algebra professor once told me to curb my enthusiasm because inevitably, some thing or other will disappoint me. For the most part, that rule…
Black Desert Online previews a quartet of upcoming Awakenings for the PlayStation 4 - On September 24th players who enjoy Black Desert Online on PlayStation 4 will get a wake-up call with the introduction of Awakenings. Fans already familiar with the game's PC incarnation will…
Black Desert plans three-week Season of the Hunt event starting September 25 - It's been a bit of a bye week in Black Desert's PC version thanks to an extra-long maintenance mode - gamers will recall that Kakao announced there'd be no big…
Massively Overthinking: Let’s ban a word from the MMORPG lexicon - A while back, an MMO player I follow on Twitter who also happens to be super into sports retweeted something fun into my feed: a thread about banning annoying words.…
Desert Oasis: Hunting for the best grindspots in Black Desert - Of all things, the one thing about Black Desert that everyone can agree on is that there's a grind. Players who choose this game know that this is the central…
Black Desert patches in PC Altar of Blood events, Xbox One s’mores promo - [AL:BDO]It's patch day once again for Black Desert, as Kakao is pushing out both new additions to last week's life skill master update and a new multi-part event in the…
Black Desert releases the complete Megan Fox ‘Follow the Light’ trailer - [AL:BDO]Since the launch of Black Desert's PS4 edition last month, Pearl Abyss has been rolling out a series of trailer clips of a trailer starring actress Megan Fox, who is…
Massively Overthinking: Do you ever feel guilty about ‘freeloading’ in a free-to-play MMO? - A few weeks back, Massively OP's Ben Griggs made an observation that I bet some readers can relate to. He mentioned that in his play of a certain free-to-play MMO,…
Pearl Abyss takes over for Nexon and NCsoft as the biggest exhibitor at South Korea’s G-star - It's really unusual that neither NCsoft nor Nexon will be exhibiting this year at South Korea's G-Star conference in November. This prompted some nervousness about whether or not the convention…
Life skill mastery is live for Black Desert PC as PS4 gets the Dark Knight and Musa - [AL:BDO]Black Desert PC fans tired of console taking up all the air in the room can breathe easy today, as Kakao and Pearl Abyss has pushed out a big patch…
Black Desert spokesperson Megan Fox talks about what the sandbox MMO can do for self-esteem - Last week we learned that actress Megan Fox is apparently a big fan of Black Desert, so it would stand to reason that she applies a lot of worth to…
Leaderboard: Do you buy the ‘Grand Daybreak Unification’ theory? - Yesterday, MMO blogger Wilhelm Arcturus of The Ancient Gaming Noob dropped a fun conspiracy theory in the comments of our piece on EVE Online covering how CCP is rather inexplicably…
Black Desert Online gives players more items and horse gear with its newest patch - Yes, Black Desert Online fans, you can now live the excitement of crafting horse gear! The newest PC patch adds Krogdalo's horse gear in four different varieties (Earth, Sea, and Wind),…
Desert Oasis: First impressions of Black Desert on the PlayStation 4 (and the PS Vita too!) - I needed a break from Black Desert after that disappointing enchant session I recounted in the last edition of the Desert Oasis column. A few of the comments mentioned better ways…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 235: The one about WoW Classic - Justin and Bree discuss WoW Classic, Legends of Aria, LOTRO, Black Desert, Astellia Online, Elite Dangerous, and EverQuest II, with mailbag topics on progression servers and stream etiquette.
Black Desert Mobile opens global pre-registration ahead of a 2019 launch - A lot of the news we've been getting out of Black Desert Mobile has been primarily focused on the Korean version of the game, which makes sense considering that's where…
Black Desert launches on PS4 today – with a new video starring actress Megan Fox - Did you know Megan Fox was a big Black Desert fan? I didn't either, but maybe it's no surprise, given that she's become pretty popular in the South Korean film…
Black Desert announces life skill mastery system coming September 4 - Apparently Black Desert wasn't content with a PC patch and PS4 launch this week: It's just announced new features coming to the game, and this update's going to make lifeskillers…
Black Desert PC patches the city of Velia as PS4 adds new servers ahead of launch - Nothing like a metropolitan facelift to get a patch going! This week in the PC version of Black Desert, Kakao and Pearl Abyss have overhauled Velia. [AL:BDO]"Since Velia is one…
Gamescom 2019: Black Desert’s PS4 version just hit headstart with a new launch trailer - We're down to just under two days to go before Pearl Abyss' popular MMORPG Black Desert PS4 joins its PC and Xbox One crew, and in fact, if you preordered…
Black Desert is free to play on Xbox through Sunday - Still trying to figure out what you're going to do this weekend? If you have an Xbox One in the house, then we'll make up your mind for you: You…
Massively Overthinking: The first 10 minutes of an MMO - So here's the thing about Elder Scrolls games: Most of them start out with the same hook. From Morrowind to Oblivion to Skyrim, you start out as a captive, and…
Black Desert Online recaps its PlayStation 4 beta issues and performance - The beta testing for Black Desert Online on PlayStation 4 has come to an end for now, but there is in fact a nice new summary of the beta available…
Desert Oasis: The sad saga of enchanting in Black Desert Online - One of the hallmarks of our genre is the inherent heartbreak it's capable of creating within us. Whether we're doing a corpse run in EverQuest or wiping at 0.1% on…
Black Desert: Xbox One opens Kamasylvia and PS4 beta ends as PC players ‘burn the night away’ - [AL:BDO]It's patch day over in the many formats of Black Desert. Let's start with the PC side, where gamers are still frolicking amidst summer events. Burn the Night Away is…
Perfect Ten: Creating the worst MMO ever - Here at Massively Overpowered, we learn about some games, folks. We learn a whole lot about a whole lot of games! We know MMOs. And a lot of them make…
Q2 2019 financials: Black Desert’s Pearl Abyss rakes in huge profits, builds six new games - You read that headline right. Six. Pearl Abyss has had an absolute banger of a second quarter according to its most recent financial earnings report, which not only saw the…
Battle Bards Episode 150: The great plains - It may not be the most sexy or exotic of biomes, but plains tend to pop up in pretty much every MMORPG — and they always have music to adventure…
Black Desert just hit open beta for PlayStation 4 – check out the new trailer - PlayStation 4 gamers are in for a treat today as one of the top MMORPGs on the planet rolls into open beta on the platform, joining PC and Xbox One.…
Black Desert: PC’s fishing event and Archer tweaks, Xbox One’s Kamasylvia, and PS4’s beta events - [AL:BDO]With Black Desert's current rapid pace of development - and sprawling console reach - we'll forgive this week's PC patch for being a little on the thin side. Indeed, it's…
The Stream Team: Summer Shai-tseeing in Black Desert - [AL:BDO]Massively OP's MJ has attended Black Desert Online's summer festival many times, but her new Shai hasn't! And who seems more perfect for playing in the summer sun and beach…
Black Desert Mobile Korea adds a new succession class for the Berserker - So the opening part of the video for the new class added to Black Desert Mobile sees the character whipping an enemy into the ground by their ankle. That should…
Perfect Ten: Why people create alts in MMOs - I have alts in Final Fantasy XIV. This is absurd for two reasons. First, the statement makes it clear that I have alternate characters in a game where the whole…
Desert Oasis: A guide to open PvP and grindspot etiquette in the world of Black Desert - Back in my classic Guild Wars days, I was so happy to have the scrimmage system. It was a great way to solve arguments. Basically, players could invite other players…
Black Desert adds new instruments for the Shai and kicks off the Mysteries of Summer event - It's Wednesday, and that makes it patch day for Black Desert's PC version. As promised, Kakao has pushed out the Shai's new talent set that's meant to be the equivalent…
Black Desert: The PS4 beta dated and the Shai’s musical talent patch previewed - It's happening! Pearl Abyss announced today that the beta for Black Desert's PlayStation 4 edition will run from August 9th to 13th, with signups open as of today. Preorders, MMO…
Black Desert Online is blocking macro software in its Korean version, leading to player anxiety - All right. We can all agree that trying to cut down on hacking in Black Desert Online is a good thing, yes? So we can all agree that the Korean…
PSA: Level up your Black Desert Shai by July 24 for serious in-game rewards - As I write this, I'm scrambling to get my Black Desert Shai leveled up to 58. Why? Well if you get your Shai to level 58 before maintenance on July…
Massively Overthinking: Revisiting sheep and wolves in MMOs - One of the meta discussions we've been having here on MOP this week has centered on PvP sandbox titles like Albion Online, specifically how Albion has made serious attempts to…
Neverwinter’s Summer Festival launches tomorrow – bring your swimsuit and get ready to ride a snail - [AL:NW]Black Desert isn't the only MMORPG bringing the summer fun with a themed event this month: Neverwinter is launching its own Summer Festival tomorrowday and running it straight on through…
Desert Oasis: Taking a swing with Black Desert’s Tamer and her bō staff - When I first started playing Black Desert, it was because I wanted to play a Dark Knight. From her animations, armors, and that sweet giant knife of hers, the kriegsmesser.…
Black Desert beats the heat with six weeks of Termian Waterpark festivities - I dunno about you folks, but where MOP is headquartered, we're on our third straight day of "extreme heat" warnings, bad enough for the township to cancel today's festival in…
The Soapbox: Hoping for Amazon to succeed where Lord of the Rings Online failed - It's not often I really get excited about an upcoming MMORPG. Partly this is because of the industry slowing down, and partly this is because I consider myself relatively hype-proof.…
The Lahn arrives in Black Desert Mobile’s Korean edition - The mobile version of Black Desert Online, appropriately dubbed Black Desert Mobile so you know exactly what you're getting, is not quite up to the same variety of classes as…
Black Desert addresses community requests as PC releases Altar of Blood and Xbox One adds Ninjas - In the wake of Black Desert's Heidel Ball event last month, Pearl Abyss has dropped a set of player-submitted suggestions with dev answers to them, all focused on improving the…
Desert Oasis: Finding the Shai’s place in our Great Valencian Black Desert - Black Desert is no stranger to controversies. Whether because of the addition-and-removal of its battle royale or its enchantment mechanics, it does a pretty good job of pulling aggro from…
Black Desert will launch Altar of Blood, a small-group ‘defensive horde mode,’ next week - [AL:BDO]If you thought that Wednesday's Black Desert update was a little on the thin side, welp, that's only because Kakao and Pearl Abyss were apparently holding back the fun stuff…
Black Desert’s latest patch kicks off a new summer event and tweaks guild skills - [AL:BDO]Black Desert's having a bit of a good run the past week, what with the launch of the Shai and the announcement of a launch date for its PS4 version,…
Black Desert has begun preorders for its PlayStation 4 edition launching August 22 - [AL:BDO]Back at E3, Pearl Abyss dropped a big announcement for Black Desert: The PC and Xbox One versions of the game were getting another sibling in the form of a…
The Stream Team: Say hello to Black Desert’s Shai - [AL:BDO]Massively OP's MJ is not a fan of child-like races, but after hearing some good things about Black Desert Online's new Shai class, she's willing to check it out. It…
Massively Overthinking: Always be achievin’ (in MMOs) - A while back, my husband and I were idly chatting about MMO achievements. Neither one of us is much of an achievement hunter, or more specifically, we tend to be…
Black Desert is holding a GM-led parade tonight, and you’re invited - Everyone loves a parade! And how about a parade mixed with a live event? That's what Black Desert is up to tonight, as GMs have asked everyone with a Shai…
Black Desert localization typo shortchanges guilds by 90% of promised rewards - Let it never be said that video game localization isn't a big deal worth spending money on, as an error in Black Desert's event translation has apparently let to botched…
Black Desert’s new Shai class (and her donkey!) has officially launched today - [AL:BDO]If you rolled a Shai during her preview week in Black Desert, then good news for you today: You can actually play her now, as she's just gone live as…
Black Desert Online locks (some) player accounts in the wake of data breach - Black Desert Online appears to be in the midst of an account-security fiasco, as a recent forum post from GM Rhotaaz has announced that the "account information of a number…
Desert Oasis: First impressions of Black Desert’s new Shai class and her skills - The announcement of Black Desert's Shai class earlier this month really caught me off guard. Sure, I thought a snow globe sprawled on advertisements for the Heidel Ball fan-event-plus-press-conference felt…
Black Desert’s new Shai class launches June 26 – but you can roll one today - If you're already hoping to roll up an adorable Shai character in Black Desert this summer, there are two things you need to know. First, she's officially launching on June…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 225: The slash and burn of Amazon Game Studios - Justin and Bree discuss E3, Black Desert, Warframe, Last Oasis, Amazon, New World, Ship of Heroes, SWG Legends, LOTRO, Elder Scrolls Online, with mailbag questions on monetizing character costuming and…
Recapping Black Desert’s massive E3 and Heidel Ball announcements - I said this morning that I thought Black Desert stole the show for E3 players - apart from the Phantasy Star Online 2 announcement, of course! And I'll stand by…
Black Desert’s new hot air balloons are a boon for explorers - Ya know, we might have forgiven Pearl Abyss and Kakao if they'd decided to phone it on on this week's Black Desert update. This week, the companies announced a PS4…
E3 2019: Black Desert will launch on PlayStation 4 this year as the mobile version finally comes westward - [AL:BDO]Did you think the announcement about a new expansion and new class was all Black Desert had in store for E3? Nope! Pearl Abyss has just announced another whopper: The…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 224: Black Desert, Bless Online, and boats - Carlo, Bree, and Justin discuss Black Desert, Bless, Phantasy Star Online 2, E3, LOTRO, SWTOR, GW2, POE, City of Heroes, and boats.
E3 2019: Black Desert announces Great Expedition expansion and adorable Shai class - Black Desert brought the good stuff to fan con Heidel Ball this weekend thanks to a slew of announcements about new content inbound for the MMORPG. [AL:BDO]First, Pearl Abyss revealed…
Massively Overthinking: Does the MMO genre have too many games for its own good? - Last month I saw a video from YouTuber Josh Strife Hayes with an eyebrow-raiser of a thesis: He essentially argues that we have too many MMOs - that a flooded…
Desert Oasis: Comparing Black Desert and Blade & Soul’s design philosophies - One of my favorite MMO stories is how I got into Black Desert in the first place. It was right after I tried out Final Fantasy XIV’s Eureka. I was…
Black Desert has launched Star’s End, a brand-new quest zone, for PC players - [AL:BDO]It sounds like it ought to be a cantina in a galaxy far, far away, but nope: Star's End is a major content drop in Black Desert live today for…
Massively Overthinking: Tackling the ‘big four MMOs’ meme - Over the last couple of months, there's been a meme floating around the MMORPG subreddit. Someone will ask that the community recommend a game, and the responses will all look…
Black Desert serves up better guild and attendance rewards as BDO on Xbox launches Awakening - The team that works together stays together, and you can't work with anyone if you don't log in to start with. Black Desert Online wants players working together and logging in, and…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 222: A good EVEning to be invaded - Brendan joins Justin and Bree for a sponsored segment on EVE Online's upcoming expansion and Fanfest world tour, plus news from FFXIV, Dauntless, Astellia, Black Desert, and DCUO, with mailbag…
Choose My Adventure: The Agent, the Eagle, and the Sith in Star Wars The Old Republic - Things have come to a head in my Star Wars: The Old Republic adventure, and it all wrapped in rather neat fashion for the end of this month's column, honestly.…
Massively Overthinking: What are your favorite MMO ‘chores’? - A few months ago, The Outline ran a piece on Red Dead Redemption 2 titled I don't wanna do my video games chores, and holy heck did that ever resonate…
Desert Oasis: In praise of the charmingly chaotic Black Desert community - One of my favorite dishes is dinuguan (dinu-goo-ahn). It's a pork dish covered in a sauce with the consistency of curry and the dark brown color of chocolate. In America,…
Black Desert’s Underwater Ruins expansion is live today, with Star’s End planned for June 5 - As promised, Black Desert's western PC version is under water this week, literally, thanks to the Underwater Ruins expansion that's just washed ashore as of this morning along with new…
Massively Overthinking: Unpopular MMORPG opinions - Unpopular opinions: We all have them. In fact we have so many that it's a straight up meme. This week's Massively Overthinking is one I've wanted to do for a…
Black Desert Online offers up a new poacher to hunt while starting a guild attendance event on Xbox One - Who wants to go beat the snot out of a very specific poacher in Black Desert Online? The game's newest patch adds in a poacher who spawns in several regions of…
Desert Oasis: How AFKing in Black Desert is more productive than you think - You know what I enjoy doing in MMOs? Not doing anything. I fancy myself an AFK enthusiast. Finding a nice, scenic spot to park your character is an art. It's…
Black Desert teases Underwater Ruins expansion on PC, updates with Valencia expansion on Xbox One - [AL:BDO]Aquaphobic folks would do well to avoid Black Desert's upcoming content rollout. But for everyone else, the Underwater Ruins expansion approaches on May 22nd. "Only the most seasoned adventurers will…
Pearl Abyss makes a deal with Kakao Games to acquire Black Desert’s South Korean publishing rights - Black Desert developer Pearl Abyss has struck an agreement with the game's publisher, Kakao Games, to acquire the publishing rights for the South Korean version of the popular fantasy sandbox,…
Doom has overtaken Black Desert in today’s equestrian-centric update - The holiday tomorrow in Europe means delayed patches for some MMOs, but not for Black Desert: You're getting your patch today. And it's a doozy, since it brings Doom. [AL:BDO]No,…
Massively Overthinking: Is there a ‘do or die’ moment for MMOs now? - This week MOP's Eliot and I were chatting about the wild summer the MMO industry is about to have, what with a whole bunch of major titles about to drop…
Desert Oasis: A post-mortem examination of Black Desert’s defunct Shadow Arena - Last week was such an intense week for Black Desert. The community took a blow when news broke out regarding Black Desert’s second major loss in the past few months:…
Black Desert’s new roadmap teases new maps and new group-based content on the way - [AL:BDO]There's big news coming out of Black Desert today, as Pearl Abyss and Kakao have dropped a roadmap of new content coming to the game "before the end of this…
Black Desert: The new mobile market, Spring Fever event, TOS tweaks, and that damn rock - Lots of stuff going on in Black Desert this week! First up: Kakao is preparing to launch a mobile- and web-accessible version of the game's Central Market. (Apparently it's not…
Black Desert says it’s finished its Shadow Arena-related ‘false bans’ investigation - Since March, we've been covering a hacking wave and the ensuing fallout in Black Desert, as cheaters swarmed the now-defunct Shadow Arena battle royale mode with hacks and bots. Kakao…
Desert Oasis: Understanding and critiquing Black Desert’s RNG systems - One of the main critiques readers made about my first Desert Oasis column last month was that I did not mention Black Desert's random number generator at all. I appreciate…
Black Desert deletes Shadow Arena, compensates players, and opens the Egg Hunt - The day has come, folks: Shadow Arena is officially patched out of Black Desert today, after hackers and banwaves and what had to be pure frustration on the part of…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 215: Anthem exposed - Justin and Bree discuss Anthem and BioWare, Guild Wars 2, DCUO, RIFT, Albion, DDO, Dragon Quest X, and Black Desert, plus a mailbag topic on event fatigue in MMOs.
Black Desert has 18M registered players as Pearl Abyss counts $1B gross sales - If you're still reeling over the news that Black Desert is unceremoniously deleting its battle royale mode, Shadow Arena, from the game tomorrow, take heart: The rest of the game…
Kakao is permanently killing off Black Desert’s battle royale mode, Shadow Arena, this week - Dang, this was not the outcome we were expecting here: Kakao has announced it is outright sunsetting Black Desert's Shadow Arena mode. On Wednesday, in fact. MMO players will recall…
Black Desert goes Out of the Woods on PC, adds four classes and PvP modes on Xbox One - If you're hoping for another update on the botched Black Desert banwave, alas, there hasn't been one - we're in exactly the same place we were earlier this week. But…
The Black Desert Shadow Arena banwave and backtrack is an absolute clusterfudge - For the last week we've been covering the hacking wave in Black Desert, as cheaters swarmed the Shadow Arena battle royale mode with trial accounts and hacks and bots in…
April Fools’ Day around the MMOverse, 2019 edition - Yes, it's back, the day when you can believe absolutely nothing and MMO studios are cranking out faux patches that you kinda wish were real. Yeah, I might still be…
Massively Overpowered feature patch notes for April Oneth - Here at Massively Overpowered, we're always doing our best to make use of our staff's particular talents. We make sure to have Justin saying words that he can't pronounce, we've…
Black Desert’s big banwave this week apparently had more than a few false positives - Earlier this week, we covered Kakao's move to crack down on cheating in Black Desert, specifically in Shadow Arena, which has reportedly been plagued by hackers since its rollout earlier…
Desert Oasis: Reframing player perceptions of Pearl Abyss’ MMO Black Desert - Hello and welcome to our revival of the Black Desert column! The Desert Nomad decided it was time to reroll for the new meta, and it's back, better than ever at…
Black Desert mass-bans Shadow Arena hackers as True or False patch goes live and Black Desert Mobile is teased - If you've been keeping an eye and ear on Black Desert's battle arena mode Shadow Arena, you probably know that the game's been plagued with hacking issues by the usual…
Massively Overthinking: Designed downtime in MMORPGs - In a Daily Grind not long ago, MOP reader Armsbend said something I thought just cried out for discussion. After noting that he had a guild member who used to…
Black Desert Online changes node war mechanics and encourages collecting cherry blossoms - The spring has arrived in Black Desert Online, and that means it's time for the traditional celebration of spring in the form of fighting over territory. The latest patch to the…
Battle Bards Episode 140: Piano piano! - It’s one of the most powerful and versatile of musical instruments, and now the piano is getting its own featured show here on Battle Bards! The crew re-assembles, not to…
Black Desert’s Mediah update comes to Xbox One - Even though it's been only ten days since Black Desert's Xbox One launch, Pearl Abyss has already released its first major update, bringing the Mediah content expansion to the console…
Black Desert Online’s third anniversary celebrations continue with Glimmering Old Moon event and weekly update - March is the third anniversary for Black Desert Online, and it's celebrating through a number of events. To be fair, a lot of events is kind of de rigeur for…
Black Desert Online developer Pearl Abyss is working on a new family-friendly game code-named Project V - We know that Project V (or "Project Five" if you want to cheekily reference roman numerals) is in development from Pearl Abyss. We know that it's going to be using…
Try out level 60 PvE characters with Black Desert’s new trial toons system - Black Desert's western anniversary celebrations continue this week with the rollout of trial characters. If you've ever hated the idea of spending tons of time leveling up an MMO character…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 210: The spice must flow - Justin and Bree discuss Funcom's Dune, Anarchy Online's prog, Elder Scrolls Online's Wrathstone, Atlas' wipe, Guild Wars 2's layoffs, DDO's Sharn expansion, and Outlaws of the Old West, with adventures…
The Stream Team: Celebrating Black Desert Online’s third anniversary with battle royale - [AL:BDO]What did you do for your third birthday? It probably wasn't a battle royale match. But that is exactly how Black Desert is celebrating its birthday, and Massively OP's MJ…
Massively Uplifting: Black Desert’s lantern memorial, a gift of sight in Wizard101 - Gamers get a bad rap. Studios are seen as heartless villains. Mainstream media is quick to demonize us, and we can be quick to do the same to developers. But…
Black Desert has officially launched for the Xbox One with an ambitious content cadence planned - It's happening today: MMORPG sandpark Black Desert Online is officially launching on the Xbox One. Like the PC version, this edition of the game is buy-to-play, with the basic version…
The Survivalist: When survival sandboxes are more MMO than actual MMORPGs - Ever since Life is Feudal announced at the end of last month its dedication to developing a deep roleplay-focused server, I haven't been able to stop thinking about how much…
Black Desert turns three years old in the west as its battle royale mode leaves early access - [AL:BDO]Can you believe Black Desert is creeping up on three years since its launch here in the west? It's true! Naturally Kakao is pulling out all the stops on the…
300,000 people took part in the Xbox One betas for Black Desert, Pearl Abyss previews roadmap - My guess is that most of our readers are already plenty familiar with Black Desert, being as it's still the newest of the large recently launched titles from the last…
Black Desert’s PC version rolls out the new Central Market as Xbox One edition mops up beta bugs - Economy fiends, it's your week to shine in Black Desert. That's because the game's trading system has received a major new implementation in the form of the Central Market. "Central Market…
Black Desert Online explains the intent of the Adventure Log and Dark Rift - Jae-hee Kim, executive producer for Black Desert Online, has penned a letter to provide some context for the recent additions of Bartali's Adventure Log and Dark Rift boss monster fights,…
Black Desert Online is in open beta on the Xbox One through February 17 - If you like your MMOs on consoles, your spirits black, your combat active, and your classes gender-locked, you should give Black Desert Online a whirl on Xbox One. And you can…
Love and war collide in Black Desert Online’s latest update - Whether you're a lover or a fighter, the latest Black Desert Online update has something for you. Just in time for Valentine's Day, the update introduces the Be My Love…
Black Desert: Xbox One beta preload, market value doubling, goldseller crackdown, and Dark Rifts event - [AL:BDO]Usually Black Desert does its big drops on Wednesday, but we've already got a pile of BDO news growing that just can't wait. For starters, pre-loading for the final open…
More MMO Valentine’s Day events: Black Desert, EverQuest II, Destiny 2, MapleStory 2, Revelation Online, and Wizard101 - Hearts and chocolates and flowers continue to invade MMOs all around us. Bree here, reporting from the front lines of the invasion. Here are a few more entries about the…
Interview: Black Desert’s Pearl Abyss on battle royale design, metrics, cron stones, and future content - Black Desert has had a wild ride over the last year, as has its home studio, Pearl Abyss. Not only did PA pick up CCP Games in 2018, but it…
Steam’s Lunar New Year Sale is offering a discount on your first $30 in purchases - Sure why not let's do a Lunar New Year sale on Steam. Any excuse for a party! Valve and co. has done more than just put games on sale per…
Black Desert explains Cron Stone prices and ups some horse prices - [AL:BDO]A letter from Pearl Abyss Executive Producer Jae-hee Kim gives Black Desert players the scoop on what the heck is going on with Cron Stones and the ripple effect changing…
Black Desert drops new trailer for final Xbox One open beta event - Dang, I almost forgot that Black Desert is still on track for an Xbox One launch this year. Almost, but not quite. Indeed, as Pearl Abyss announced today, there's one…
Black Desert adds devour system, privacy mode, and new battle royale classes with Lunar New Year update - Lunar New Year descends on Black Desert today, which means players will be dipping into no less than three events: Cakewalk, in which you'll be bashing mobs and fishing up…
Kakao is apparently considering a bid for Nexon as sale process heats up - Over January, we've been covering the future of Nexon, whose controlling owner, Kim Jung-ju, is aiming to sell his nearly 99% stake in the Korean gaming giant and its massive…
Black Desert is heavily adjusting its battle royale mode based on player feedback in today’s patch - [AL:BDO]Black Desert's had a wild winter already, with an expansion, new class, and battle royale mode rolling out in just the last few months. So maybe you'll forgive Kakao for…
Black Desert’s battle royale mode, Shadow Arena, hits early access for current players today - [AL:BDO]Black Desert is formally hopping on the battle royale bandwagon this week with the "early access" release of Shadow Arena today. How does a fully launched MMORPG run an "early…
Interview: Astellia’s western team on pay-to-win, themeparks, and dodging early access and battle royale - Yesterday we covered the news that South Korean born MMORPG Astellia is heading westward in 2019, with its holy trinity classes, solid PvE and PvP, and hard lean away from…
Latest Black Desert Online class adds Archer Rabam skills, kicks off Moonlit Memory event - The latest patch for Black Desert Online has gone live, bringing with it the powerful Rabam skills for the Archer class, a new event, as well as a handful of…
Perfect Ten: Mobile MMOs to watch in 2018 - Love it or hate it, MMOs are going mobile in ever-increasing numbers. Last year saw a crop of acclaimed titles making their way to tablets and smartphones, including Old School…
Black Desert is launching a battle royale mode called Shadow Arena as part of a year focused on systems clarity - [AL:BDO]Pearl Abyss spent 2018 busy busy busy with its projects, among them Black Desert. To sum all that up and tease the future, Executive Producer Jae-hee Kim has a dev…
Black Desert launches on Xbox One March 4, with preorders opening today - We knew this day was coming: It's time to buckle up for Black Desert's Xbox One debut, as preorders for the game on that platform have opened up as of…
Black Desert Online introduces time-limited Black Spirit chat emoji, and yes, they’re cute - So how do you feel about having new chat emoji available in Black Desert Online? Does the fact that they're time-limited affect those feelings? Does the cost of one loyalty affect…
Perfect Ten: The best MMO updates and expansions of 2018 - A not-inconsequential part of me misses the days when every MMO would pump out boxed expansions. I like buying boxes of stuff I like to enhance the other stuff I…
Steam lists Elder Scrolls Online, Black Desert, and Warframe among 2018’s best sellers - While not technically an awards show, Steam's "Best of 2018" page effectively serves as one as it looks at the best-selling and most-played titles over this past year. Many MMORPGs…
Black Desert Online’s Let it Snow event gets you free treasure for just staying logged in - Don't you hate when events expect you to actually do things to earn rewards? Black Desert Online's newest event has you covered. Here's how to reap big rewards from the…
Perfect Ten: The biggest MMO surprises of 2018 - Everyone loves surprises, right? Not always. Even good surprises can be a disruption of our comfortable routines, and bad ones can downright ruin a day. Yet surprises keep life interesting…
Battle Bards Episode 134: Halloween and Christmas - It’s beginning to sound a lot like Christmas! And, er, Halloween! Well, the Battle Bards were never much for subtlety, so you must excuse their efforts to sandwich two holidays…
Black Desert: The Archer awakens, Grandpa Cron arrives, and Xbox One preorders are set for January 7 - Life is moving fast for the new archer of Black Desert Online. It feels like only yesterday that the new class was sniping its way into the game, and now it's…
Massively OP’s 2018 MMO Video Game Music Awards - We have been talking a lot about what we've been playing this year and what we're looking forward to in 2019 and beyond, but what about the music that has…
Black Desert’s new Archer and tree decorating events are live as Pearl Abyss sets up shop in California - Hope you got your proto Archer rolled in Black Desert because he's live as of today and you can actually log him in and get to playing. "The Archer uses…
Ask Mo: The hits and misses of Massively OP’s 2018 predictions - As we do every year, today we're going to peek back at the horrifying outcomes of last year's MOP staff predictions for the genre and the games within it to determine how well we…
Perfect Ten: The healthiest live MMORPGs at the end of 2018 - Another year is coming to a close! That means we're doing all of our usual end-of-year recaps, and that also means that we're once again taking a look at the…
You can customize your new Archer in Black Desert today - Nobody does a new class rollout like Black Desert, and Kakao is showing why today. As promised, the Archer's pre-patch is out this morning. You can't technically play him just…
Black Desert outlines plans for the Archer, battle royale mode, and the O’dyllita expansion - As promised Pearl Abyss splashed out for its Festa event in South Korea this weekend, with big announcements for local and global fans of Black Desert. Let's get the weird news…
Perfect Ten: The biggest MMO news stories of 2018 - With the turn of every new year, I know we are entering unexplored territory in the field of MMO news. No matter what we may predict, it's inevitable that the…
Black Desert’s just pushed out a farming minigame in its latest patch - [AL:BDO]Lakiaro content has come to the world of Black Desert in today's patch. "While the world was fighting for grind spots the once thought of rare Lakiaros have been spotted…
Black Desert will reveal its 17th class at its ‘FESTA’ event in Seoul next month - [AL:BDO]So, does an MMORPG with a global audience of 10 million deserve its very own fan event? History says yes. And that's exactly what Black Desert is getting next month.…
Feast upon Thanksgiving festivities in Black Desert Online’s latest patch - The newest patch for Black Desert Online has arrived just in time for Thanksgiving, and it brings with it some new, turkey-day-themed events. Until December 5th, players can defeat monsters…
Black Desert Mobile teases what will likely be an Awakening update - Wakey wakey, class upgrades and expanded skill selection... achey. That bit of wordplay didn't coalesce all that will, but the important thing here is that Black Desert Mobile (like Black Desert Online,…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 197: Crawl out through the fallout - Eliot, Justin, and Bree discuss FFXIV's Fanfest, Fallout 76, Hellgate, WildStar, plus patches for Black Desert, EVE, Secret World Legends, ArcheAge, TERA, and EverQuest II, with mail on MMO difficulty…
Black Desert’s long-awaited Drieghan expansion is live - [AL:BDO]Here we go folks: Black Desert's Drieghan expansion is finally here and live as of today in the western PC version of the game. Pearl Abyss and Kakao are even…
Black Desert Online shows off the Drieghan region arriving November 14 - It's not long now before players will get to explore the region of Drieghan in Black Desert Online in the localized version of the game (the content has already been…
Black Desert’s Xbox One beta has officially begun – here’s the trailer - It's happening: Black Desert's Xbox One beta has officially begun as of today, running through November 12th, with a slew of events on tap over the next few days. In…
Interview: Neowiz on Bless Online’s now-live Ruins of Shaqqara and the state of the game - Neowiz's beleaguered MMORPG Bless Online is live with its first big update since launching out of its open beta early access last month. Ruins of Shaqqara will boost the level cap…
Black Desert launches lead-up event for next week’s Drieghan’s expansion - Black Desert's Drieghan expansion launches one week from today, so you might have thought this week's patch would be nothing at all - but it's not nothing. In fact, Kakao…
Black Desert Online cracking down on private servers to community’s dismay - The folks at Kakao Games and Pearl Abyss have announced via an official forum post from GM Rhotaaz that they're cracking down on Black Desert Online private servers, much to…
The Stream Team: Bootiful decorations in Black Desert Online - [AL:BDO]Halloween activities are fun, but part of the magic of the holiday is the decorations! And Black Desert Online does decorations well. Massively OP's MJ is spending an evening immersed…
Black Desert revamps pet exchange system, kicks off ‘Celebrating Millions’ events - Black Desert's Halloween day update has more than just sweets: It's got a revamp for the pet exchange system, intended to make the acquisition of higher-tier pets much easier. You'll…
Black Desert: DDOS attacks, South Korean lawsuit, and Halloween - If you've been having problems with your Black Desert server crashing this week, you're not alone. Kakao seems to be suffering a wave of DDOS attacks on the North American…
Vague Patch Notes: There’s more to Skinner boxes in MMOs than mere repetition - As I started watching the latest World of Warcraft video to whip people into a furor, I very nearly turned the thing off as soon as I heard my long-hated…
Rumor: Black Desert’s Xbox One open beta begins November 8 - [AL:BDO]Betcha forgot all about the fact that Black Desert was still slated for a console port! Welp, it's still happening, and in fact, it's apparently ramping up. Players across multiple…
Black Desert drops Archer class trailer ahead of TwitchCon 2018 - [AL:BDO]The Archer may not be dropping with the Drieghan expansion, but it is very much on the way to Black Desert. Ahead of TwitchCon this week, Pearl Abyss has released…
Black Desert Online improves Mirumok Ruins and asks Russian players to apply for transfers - It's patch day for Black Desert Online and today, that means the Mirumok Ruins have been substantially adjusted. The recommended attack power is lower, the party size is smaller, the…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 192: Tricks and treats - MJ, Justin, and Bree discuss Trion's acquisition, Aion's Awakened Legacy, MMO Halloween, Black Desert's Russian un-fiasco, SWTOR, MapleStory 2, and ZeniMax's new maybe-MMO.
Black Desert clarifies that the Archer isn’t launching alongside the Drieghan expansion - Don't get your hopes up about playing the Archer in Black Desert anytime soon - the new class isn't launching with Drieghan. [AL:BDO]"We found out that some articles on the…
Black Desert’s Russian servers will be spared from their abrupt and messy closure after all - Welp, we did not see this coming, but here's some extremely good news in the Black Desert license transfer saga. Over the last couple of weeks, we've been covering the…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 191: It’s looking a little patchy around here - Justin and Bree discuss Star Citizen, LOTRO, EverQuest II, Star Trek Online, SWTOR, New World, and Black Desert, with reader mail about forging social connections in MMOs.
Black Desert’s Halloween event bosses bring tricks and treats this week - [AL:BDO]Halloween shenanigans will cloak the world of Black Desert starting tomorrow, Kakao announced this morning. "Pearl Abyss and Kakao Games have announced that the skies of Black Desert Online will…
Black Desert’s Pearl Abyss claims Russian publisher is using players as a ‘weapon’ - Over the month, we've been covering the supposed license transfer of Black Desert’s Russian branch from publisher GameNet back to Korean owner Pearl Abyss. Initially, both companies vowed to work together to…
Black Desert’s Russian servers and accounts are toast as Pearl Abyss says transfer negotiations failed - Over the last month and change, we've been covering the news that GameNet, Black Desert's Russian publisher, was handing the service in the CIS region back over to BDO's owner,…
Black Desert’s Russian publishing transfers this week, and we still don’t know the fate of player accounts - Back in September, we covered the surprise announcement from GameNet that it was handing back its Russian Black Desert publishing rights back to Pearl Abyss across the CIS region, with the…
It’s suddenly spring in Black Desert as Cookie Day arrives - Happy Halloween, have a cookie in Black Desert. No, really, Kakao has kicked off its Cookie Day event, which is an odd choice for the middle of October, but I'm…
Black Desert Online will show off new Archer class, Drieghan expansion at TwitchCon 2018 - The folks at Pearl Abyss and Kakao Games have announced their plans for TwitchCon 2018, where they'll be showing off the upcoming Archer class and the much-anticipated Drieghan expansion for…
Get Black Desert for free… if you can get to level 56 during your trial week - [AL:BDO]Kakao and Pearl Abyss have been touting Black Desert's 10M players number for a while now, but it's popping the bubbly now with a big event that essentially grants the…
Black Desert Online rolls out three new in-game events, announces remastered soundtrack - This week, Black Desert Online didn't undergo its regular maintenance, so although there's no new patch, Pearl Abyss is making up for it with a slew of new in-game events.…
Black Desert Online will launch its Drieghan expansion in the West on November 14th - This November, a new expansion is coming to Pearl Abyss's sandbox MMO Black Desert Online. The expansion, titled Drieghan, will release on November 14th and will add "a large mountainous…
Black Desert Online’s latest patch reworks Node War system, kicks off Beerfest event - This week's Black Desert Online patch introduces changes to the game's Node War system, marks the beginning of the three-week Beerfest in-game event, and implements a bevy of other fixes…
Battle Bards Episode 128: Seaside port - Why not sail up to our dock and tie your ship to ours for an hour? The Battle Bards return for another great episode examining MMORPG music, with the focus…
Black Desert patches in pirate and equestrian events as Pearl Abyss reclaims Russian publishing - [AL:BDO]Black Desert heard you liked events, so it's trotted out events aplenty for this week's patch: Ride on Time (uggggg, that one hurts) for fans of the game's horse system,…
CCP Games discusses EVE Online as a forever game, its 300K players, and its mobile and big screen aspirations - [AL:EVE]Variety has a fresh interview with CCP Games CEO Hilmar Petursson on the sale of the company - and its chief asset, MMORPG EVE Online - to Black Desert company…
Black Desert and The Division are both free to play this weekend on Steam - [AL:BDO]There was a time when it was rare to be able to try out an MMO without buying it, but these days the majority of the genre is free-to-play and…
EVE Online developer CCP Games bought by Black Desert Online studio Pearl Abyss - [AL:EVE]I bet that's not a headline you expected to wake up to! EVE Online developer CCP Games confirmed this morning that it will soon be a wholly owned subsidiary of…
Black Desert counts 10M global registered users, plus news on today’s patch, Pearl Abyss benefits, and the Drieghan teaser trailer - [AL:BDO]Remember last week when Pearl Abyss and Kakao claimed Black Desert's playerbase had seen a "massive surge" thanks to the game's visual remaster? "Black Desert Online has seen an average…
Pearl Abyss and Kakao claim Black Desert’s playerbase got a ‘massive surge’ thanks to the remaster - [AL:BDO]Kakao and Pearl Abyss sent 'round a press release this morning stating that Black Desert has seen a "massive surge" in its playerbase since the launch of its graphically remastered…
Black Desert’s arguably pay-to-win enhancement items enter the game and cash shop today - [AL:BDO]You might have thought Black Desert would take a little break from its update pace, what with the graphical overhaul it just rolled out, but you'd have been wrong. As…
Reddit erupts over Black Desert backtracking on ‘pay-to-win’ Valks’ Cry items - [AL:BDO]If you've somehow come all this way in Black Desert's western run without believing there's even a teensy bit of pay-to-win in the game, this week's dev announcement might be…
Black Desert’s graphical remaster is live today, along with sales and contests - [AL:BDO]As promised, Black Desert's Remastered version is live today, featuring a fully revamped graphical experience, plus a do-over for the game's audio (music too!) and a new user interface too. Kakao…
Black Desert’s remastered edition launches tomorrow with free stuff for all players - [AL:BDO]Hear that crackle in the air? See that ripple on the distant horizon? It's Black Desert's remastered version, launching here in the west tomorrowday. "The development team at Pearl Abyss…
Black Desert revamps and shortens Savage Rift, implements offline leveling - [AL:BDO]Black Desert players are being treated to a big update this week featuring the revamp of Savage Rift that basically makes the PvE co-op content more accessible and interesting -…
Black Desert’s remastered edition looks and sounds amazing - [AL:BDO]Black Desert fans have a good reason to be excited -- after all, when was the last time that the MMO you played got a massive visual and audio overhaul?…
Pearl Abyss sees hefty revenue bump thanks to Black Desert - Pearl Abyss, the Korean developer of Black Desert, posted its Q2 2018 earnings report this past week, showing both significantly increased revenue and profits over the three-month period. The company…
Black Desert to show off its sizzling new graphics and music on Saturday - [AL:BDO]Black Desert is about to look and sound even more incredible than it already does, and you'll be able to check it out as early as this weekend. On Saturday,…
Black Desert’s newest patch introduces guaranteed enhancements - [AL:BDO]You don't want to fuss around with enhancements that might happen, in games or real life; you want to have assurances that your enhancements will function correctly. Black Desert gets…
Black Desert and Ascent Infinite Realm publisher Kakao is investing in esports - Kakao is a massive South Korean company, and as most MMO fans reading blogs probably know, video games are just one element of that business spread. The company owns internet…
Black Desert invites players to Saddle Up to level their horses super fast - [AL:BDO]The star of today's Black Desert update is horses, and really, isn't that the star of Black Desert every day? Kakao is kicking off Saddle Up, and event that boosts…
Black Desert Online gets ready to show off its remastered graphics - [AL:BDO]Is it possible for Black Desert to look any more gorgeous than it already does? Kakao apparently thinks so, because the developer has been hard at work on a massive…
Black Desert finally answers the eternal MMORPG question: Who does laundry in this gameworld? - [AL:BDO]So who washes all the clothes your toons wear in MMORPGs? This is a topic that needs to be explored... in some other article. This piece does involve laundry, but…
Black Desert dives down into underwater dungeons - [AL:BDO]You know where's a really great place to build a dungeon? Under the ocean. Sure, there's the bends, flesh-rending sharks, and a severe lack of daylight with which to contend,…
Black Desert overhauls node and conquest wars, extends and buffs its summer events - [AL:BDO]It's been a rocky morning for Black Desert, as its planned patch maintenance took a few extra hours and is currently causing some unresolved file corruption issues over on Steam,…
Black Desert takes nodes and conquest offline for a new ruleset - [AL:BDO]When Black Desert updates on July 18th, new rules for Node and Conquest Wars will be getting rolled out along with the other changes. In order to facilitate this, the…
Battle Bards Episode 124: Old MMOs, new music - It’s a catch-all, catch-up episode for the Battle Bards as they dig through new soundtrack releases from MMORPGs that they’ve covered in the past! You may be prepared for an…
Black Desert launches a cross-regional ‘Global Lab’ test server - [AL:BDO]So many games have test servers of one form or another that we seldom even need to spell out the acronym PTS - and now one more MMORPG is moving…
Black Desert patches in a new tag system for on-the-fly character swaps - [AL:BDO]It's always nice when your army of characters on a given MMO can be useful for you at all times, and Black Desert's latest patch makes that happen. The new…
Perfect Ten: Best MMO debuts by year, 2007-2017 - Continuing from my previous column that went back to 1997, I'm going to be running through the second decade of graphical MMORPG launches and picking the best title to debut…
Black Desert offers new swimwear for players in its latest patch - [AL:BDO]Based on geography and weather patterns, it is probably hot where you live right now if you live in the United States. Quite possibly unusually hot, even! Your characters in…
Black Desert has reopened its renovated waterpark for the summer - [AL:BDO]Bring your board shorts and your sunscreen because summer has arrived in Black Desert! Just kidding, it's an MMO, so get your thongs and your bizarre animal-shaped floaties! Yep, the…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 176: Guild Wars 2, The Crew 2, and Elder Scrolls too - Justin and Bree discuss Fractured's Kickstarter, Trion Worlds' purchase of Gazillion, Guild Wars 2's new episode, The Crew 2's launch, drama in Elder Scrolls Online and Black Desert, The Sims,…
Pearl Abyss offers a maddening glimpse at its top-secret Project K - While Project K is still under wraps over at Pearl Abyss, the studio did sneak a very brief teaser about the game into a company video. All we know is…
Massively Overthinking: Massively OP’s E3 2018 awards - We've finished rolling out all of our E3 2018 content this year, save a few last stragglers coming this weekend, so now we've chosen our favorites out of what we…
Black Desert partners up with controversial exploiter, community explodes - [AL:BDO]The Black Desert community is up in arms this week after Pearl Abyss highlighted one of the game's Twitch streamers as a "featured partner." So what is the big deal…
Black Desert’s weekly update introduces soccer-themed event, guild crafting overhaul, and summer sales - [AL:BDO]Gooooaaaalllll! Yes, Black Desert is getting into the soccer hype season with its Golden Goal event starting tomorrow. Slay monsters, fish, and harvest to collect event balls and then turn…
E3 2018: Hands-on with the superb (and hopefully Switch-bound) Black Desert Mobile - While I've had kind words to say about the potential for mobile in the past - particularly MMOARGs - I just haven't been able to get into mobile MMORPGs. The…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 175: Virtual heartbreakers - Justin and Bree discuss E3, WoW Classic, Crowfall's delay, Defiance 2050's release date, Fortnite's Sony mess, Black Desert's dating mechanics, and EVE and Star Citizen's ship squabble, with mailbag questions…
Black Desert has banned another batch of almost 600 speedhackers and botters - [AL:BDO]Good thing Black Desert kept that banhammer from the Hystria bans handy because it needed it again this week - in fact, it looks like it's about to become a…
Battle Bards Episode 122: Happy town - In peaceful villages and bubbly burgs, you just know that there’s bound to be an abundance of happy music! Whenever the Battle Bards regroup to lick their wounds and drink…
Tamriel Infinium: Unpacking the Elder Scrolls Online presentation at E3 - [AL:ESO]Elder Scrolls Online is obviously a huge draw for MMORPG players, but it's far from an exciting title for the vast majority of gamers attending E3, so I was surprised to…
You can now ‘date’ some non-player characters in Black Desert - [AL:BDO]Way back in April, Pearl Abyss rolled out patch notes for the Korean version of Black Desert that included a dating system - dating as in romance options, not carbon…
E3 2018: Pearl Abyss’ CEO on Black Desert’s Xbox port, Switch considerations, and PvP - [AL:BDO]Pearl Abyss' Kyungin "Robin" Jung isn't just a CEO. He's also got a background in engineering. He may not have developed any game-saving tech for Black Desert, but at least he's…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 174: Fallout vs. Elder Scrolls - Justin and Bree discuss E3, Elder Scrolls VI and Online, Fallout 76, Anthem, FFXIV, Black Desert, Bless, LOTRO, and STO, with mailbag questions on Daybreak and the problem with MMO…
E3 2018: Black Desert gets a teaser trailer for Xbox One - [AL:BDO]Hey, do you remember about how Black Desert is headed for the Xbox One? That's been quiet for quite some time. But now it's moving forward again with the launch…
Black Desert’s Lahn class awakens today as Kakao counts 8.5M registered players and bans 738 cheaters - [AL:BDO]As promised, Lahn Awakens in Black Desert today, which is preeeeetty fast turn-around for a new class in the game. "She can swiftly switch between awakening and pre-awakening skills enriching…
Black Desert’s Lahn is about to get a huge upgrade - [AL:BDO]If eastern MMORPGs have taught us anything, it's that if you see a woman step onto a battlefield wearing nothing more than functional lingerie and carrying some massive instrument of…
Players rage over the bots and hacks still allegedly plaguing Black Desert - [AL:BDO]Frustration and rage is bubbling over on the Black Desert forums, where players are venting about the ongoing issues of botting and hacks - and Kakao's purported failure to address…
Ascent: Infinite Realm posts new armor concept art, promises no gender-locking for classes - Bluehole has been rolling out plenty of Ascent: Infinite Realm teasers over the last couple of weeks. Today's concept art reveal features armor for the Mystics (crowd-control DPSers), Elementalists (ice and…
Black Desert’s weekly patch continues PvP and class rebalance with Karma penalties and crowd control tweaks - [AL:BDO]Lahn was already live in Black Desert, but when the game returns from its extended maintenance today, she'll be reunited with her absolute skills. Kakao is also ushering in two…
Lahn is fully live in Black Desert today, with revamped login rewards tomorrow - [AL:BDO]Hope you took last week to roll up your Lahn character in Black Desert because today, you can actually tote her out into the world and kick some butt. (The…
You can roll (but not play) Lahn in Black Desert today – there’s even a contest to enter - [AL:BDO]Lahn isn't live in Black Desert today, but she's the next best thing: pre-customizable. When she officially launches next week, she'll be BDO's 16th class, though she's the first to…
Q1 2018: Black Desert studio Pearl Abyss had a record first quarter thanks to mobile - Pearl Abyss' financial report for the first quarter of 2018 is good news for both the Black Desert franchise and the company. PA, which went public last year, recorded a…
Black Desert begins Mother’s Day event, revamps defense, guts the Arsha PvP server, and teases Lahn - [AL:BDO]Here's an event that doesn't get celebrated much in MMORPGs: Mother's Day. Oh sure, the devs will send out Tweets, but we don't often see actual in-game events. Black Desert,…
Black Desert developer Pearl Abyss has even more rebalancing plans for PvP, debuffs, and crowd control - [AL:BDO]Yesterday's Black Desert patch apparently caught some backlash from the community, particularly in regard to the crowd control changes, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. The Pearl Abyss…
Black Desert’s weekly patch adds new events, combat tweaks, and ent world boss as Kakao deletes guild forts to save them - [AL:BDO]Tree bosses are all the rage this spring in MMOs, and Black Desert's got one too. Oh, did I say tree boss? I meant terrifying runic entish-behemoth from the deepest,…
Black Desert celebrates South and North Korean peace summit with global buff tonight - Anybody for some good news? Yeah? Me too! If you follow real-world international headlines even a little bit, you surely are aware that history was made yesterday as North Korea's…
Black Desert opens up the Imperial Auction House for all your rare curio purchases - [AL:BDO]Odds are good that your veteran characters in Black Desert have a lot of silver at this point. But once you've spent it on all the things you need, what…
Black Desert Online makes amends for ‘disorderly’ patch and plots out a better path forward - Black Desert Online players who were taken aback at some recent and rather sudden changes to the game have the full apology of Executive Producer Jae-hee Kim to console them.…
Black Desert Korea is letting players date (and vie for) NPCs - [AL:BDO]If yesterday's Black Desert patch in the west didn't grab you, maybe a peek into what Korea's getting will. Daum's official patch notes over on the Korean site lists some…
Black Desert’s latest update is for the birds; includes renown, gear purification, and PvP tweaks - [AL:BDO]This week's Black Desert update is officially upon us. Its key feature is a new guild boss, the Ahib Griffon, plus "several new Balenos Hunting Quests and Monsters for players…
Snag your very own Tinker Bell in Black Desert today - [AL:BDO]Fairy companions are live in Black Desert today! Players so inclined can pick up their very own Fairy Laila through the Fairy Queen Theiah quest series at level 52. "Fairies…
Pearl Abyss tests new combat and gear in Korea as fairies flutter into Black Desert tomorrow - [AL:BDO]A big patch for Black Desert Online is being tested in Korea as we speak. Expert scientists, sociologists, game developers, and major world leaders are putting their minds together to…
Jukebox Heroes: Five great YouTube channels for MMO music - As a collector and reviewer of MMORPG soundtracks, I owe a great debt to fellow music lovers who take the time to somehow extract files from the game directories and…
Black Desert prepares to switch service providers for better service - [AL:BDO]Graphics and music aren't the only aspects of Black Desert that are getting an upgrade -- the team announced that it will be switching service providers later this month to…
The Stream Team: Splashing around Black Desert’s Mystical Lake Festival - [AL:BDO]If spring isn't appearing fast enough if your neck of the woods, you can just escape into Black Desert Online to enjoy it there! Ellie's Mystical Lake Festival is underway…
Black Desert opens up Ellie’s Mystical Lake Festival, invites you to walk there - [AL:BDO]We hope you've cleared your schedules, Black Desert players, because it's Wednesday, and you know there's always something new to do in-game on Wednesdays. This week, it's Ellie's Mystical Lake…
Black Desert players overload servers in mass protest over ongoing connection problems - [AL:BDO]Back in March, Kakao issued a round of compensation for Black Desert players in North America affected by service interruptions in what the company characterized as "issues with [its] carrier."…
Black Desert holds global costume design contest - With thousands of dollars in real cash on the line, the stakes for Black Desert's global costume design contest are no chump change. Pearl Abyss is asking the community to…
Battle Bards Episode 118: More starting zone themes - What are your favorite memories of those first few days in a brand-new MMORPG? Chances are that those memories are inextricably connected to the music of these beginning areas. On…
The MMO Book Club introduces the good kind of lootboxes - Not quite a year ago, we covered a brand-new MMO community called the MMO Book Club, whose goal was to bring MMO players together to try out new games together.…
Black Desert rolls out egg hunt, April Fools’ Day event, and new food - [AL:BDO]Did I not say MMO April Fools' Day was starting early because of the holiday's rude and inconvenient weekend timing this year? Black Desert's jumping on the early wagon this…
Black Desert is introducing the Musa to its Southeast Asia servers - [AL:BDO]If you've been playing Black Desert in America for a while, you are not surprised to see the Musa. Heck, the Musa is downright normal at this point, he's been…
Black Desert’s next patch will alter weight penalties, fort construction, and monster drops - [AL:BDO]Pearl Abyss Executive Producer Jae-Hee Kim has a new Black Desert letter out for western players - apparently he's aiming to make the letters a pattern. This one's all about…
Black Desert harvests a spring event, fixes wheelbarrows, and compensates players for outages - [AL:BDO]It may not look like it in the real world, but it's spring, you guys, and Black Desert is going to make sure you remember it's supposed to be spring…
Bless Online interview: On soft launch, monetization, classes – and no lockboxes - Earlier today, we posted up Bless Online's new trailer and big news: That's it's launching on Steam early access as a buy-to-play title this coming May. As part of the announcement,…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 162: The Morninglight wants you - Justin and Bree discuss Project Gorgon, RIFT, Trove, Secret World Legends' South Africa, ArcheAge's progression servers, Black Desert on Xbox One, World of Warcraft, and Bless, with mailbag entries on…
Black Desert’s Xbox One teaser site is live ahhhhh - [AL:BDO]Hey, Xbox One players. You're gonna like this. Black Desert's Xbox One port is happening. I mean, we knew that, yes. But now it's happening-happening, as Pearl Abyss just rolled…
Black Desert patches in Rabam’s Enlightenment, new PvP modes, and St Patrick’s Day events - [AL:BDO]The Enlightment has come to Black Desert today - Rabam's Enlightenment, that is. And only the first phase, as explained in the patch notes. "Players will be pleased to learn…
Black Desert patches in Black Spirit’s Adventure 2 minigame, anticipates Drieghan region in Korea - [AL:BDO]If you found Black Desert's little black spirit dude disconcerting, this week's patch is... not gonna help that. Today's update adds Black Spirit's Adventure 2, a second season of the…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 160: Defiance ’till the end - Justin and Bree discuss Sea of Thieves, Defiance 2050, Funcom, Secret World, Guild Wars 2, and Villagers & Heroes, plus new updates in Neverwinter, WoW, Black Desert, and Path of…
Pearl Abyss calls Black Desert Mobile’s soft launch a ‘domestic success’ - Does Pearl Abyss have a hit on its hands with Black Desert Mobile? In Korea it appears to be so. The company sent 'round a press release this morning crowing…
The Stream Team: Happy second birthday, Black Desert! - [AL:BDO]Black Desert turns two years old today, and Massively OP's MJ is back on her Valkyrie to celebrate. She's going to take advantage of the special XP boost as well as…
Black Desert celebrates two years and three million players in the west - [AL:BDO]Black Desert isn't content to celebrate its second western anniversary with just an in-game event and some free stuff, oh no. Today it's rolled out a brand-new anniversary trailer talking…
Black Desert is celebrating its second western birthday with a new minimap and absolute skills - [AL:BDO]It's hard to imagine an MMORPG without a minimap in 2018. But how many of them have a 3-D minimap? That's just one of the things Black Desert is rolling…
Black Desert Mobile is launching in South Korea at the end of February - Finally, your long nightmare of having moments during the day when you weren't able to play Black Desert will be over with the launch of Black Desert Mobile on February…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 159: Panda punching - Justin and Bree discuss all the new stuff coming in March, plus news from TERA, RIFT Prime, H1Z1, Black Desert, Guild Wars 2, and secret projects, with mailbag questions on…
Black Desert players take their first peek at the game’s next region, Drieghan - [AL:BDO]Yes, players have finally gotten a sneak peek at the next new land arriving to Black Desert, a vast and mountainous region to the south of the existing map. The…
Black Desert’s Arsha PvP server is live today, while absolute skills for all classes go live next week - [AL:BDO]Brand-new PvP server Arsha is live as promised in Black Desert today. It's running an alternative ruleset with "notably increased defense" stats, extra debuff immunities, altered damage calculations, and no…
Leaderboard: What kinds of MMORPG purchases do you consider pay-to-win? - I know I'm not alone in noticing that MMO gamers of late seem to have become sharply divided on how to define the term pay-to-win - indeed, the debate raged…
Black Desert’s Kakao Games enjoys $131.6 million in investment - It's all coming up Kakao Games these days. The Korean studio received a large investment package recently that totals $131.6 million. The bundle comes from five external companies, including China's…
Black Desert players protest lag, bugs, pay-to-win, and lack of account security - [AL:BDO]Agitators on the Black Desert subreddit are attempting to whip up press and players over a range of grievances players have with Kakao, the western publisher of the Pearl Abyss…
Fish up some love and loot in Black Desert’s Valentine’s Day events - It's Valentine's Day in the world of Black Desert! The Sweet Valentine event kicked off on server up earlier today, and for the first part of the event, you're going...…
Massively OP’s guide to Valentine’s Day 2018 across the MMORPG-verse - Is your Valentine's day about love, friendship, or free candy from mom? In MMORPGs, it's about questing, murder, and free loot! So, yeah, kinda the same. Enjoy Massively OP's guide…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 157: Lunar Valentines - Justin and Bree discuss Valentine's Day and Lunar New Year in MMOs, Guild Wars 2's latest patch, Camelot Unchained's beta date, WoW's Battle for Azeroth alpha, Closers' launch, Black Desert's…
Perfect Ten: The tabletop GMs behind MMOs - One of the advantages to computer RPGs, I've always thought, is that you don't need a friend who you can alternately sucker or bribe into taking on 80% of the…
Bless Online interview: Soft launch plans, why Gamigo bowed out, and avoiding pay-to-win - Bless Online is one of the biggest MMORPGs we're expecting to launch in the west in 2018. Over the last six years, we've watched it blossom in South Korea, switch…
Black Desert explains its new ‘single global build’ philosophy - Just in time for the Olympics, Kakao is bringing east and west together in Black Desert. In the game's latest dev letter, the studio explains that up until the latest…
Black Desert preps ‘flirtatious’ Valentine’s event, new guild boss - [AL:BDO]Today's Black Desert update is a wee one in preparation for next week's holiday. "Valentine’s Day is coming up next week and you will see the world of BDO to…
Black Desert’s costume contest has begun with a $10000 grand prize - [AL:BDO]Last week, Black Desert teased its upcoming costume contest, and now we've got the full details. The big prize, of course, is the chance to have your art piece actually…
Black Desert players are up in arms about a very nice (and very expensive) tent - [AL:BDO]So let's talk a little bit about camping! Black Desert recently added the option of setting up campsites to the game, which gives you a chance to repair, buy buffs,…
Black Desert patches in new guild boss and campsite, teases costume contest - [AL:BDO]Black Desert's biweekly patch has arrived, complete with new guild boss Muskan, a new campsite, and the Call of Moonlight Fragment challenge. As always, my favorite part is actually the…
Black Desert gears up for a freebie weekend – jump in and play now - [AL:BDO]The megaboss Vell is set to descend on Black Desert this weekend, so what better time than now to play? But Bree, you say, I don't own Black Desert, and…
The Soapbox: Confessions of a serial hoarder (in MMORPGs) - How much is too much? To some, that might seem like a reasonable question. But I knew. I knew. There is no such thing as too much! There was a…
Black Desert tweaks login rewards, adds events and loot ahead of lunar new year - [AL:BDO]Seollal, the Korean version of the traditional lunar new year, technically begins just after Valentine's day in 2018, but that's not going to stop Black Desert from kicking off the…
Black Desert banned 647 cheaters over the last month, mostly fish botters, which is a thing - [AL:BDO]Thinking about cheating in Black Desert? Probably not; cheaters are hiding out in the bowels of the internet trading hacks with the other script kiddies. Our readers, then, will surely…
Black Desert adds sailboat quest, drop rate tweaks, and way more polar bears - [AL:BDO]Pull out your ancient "I'm on a boat" and "you are a pirate" memes because Black Desert is about to give you reason to venture out on the high seas,…
Check out the gameplay and Awakening of Black Desert’s Lahn class - [AL:BDO]Good news, everyone! If you've been closely following the Korean launch of Lahn in Black Desert, you'll be happy to know that there's a new awakening gameplay trailer out for her now…
Black Desert kicks off New Year’s event, adds outfit mixing feature - [AL:BDO]Move over, winter - Black Desert is done with you. But the New Year's festivities are just getting started! As part of today's patch, players should hustle on over to…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 152: Allied races and superhero sprints - Justin and Bree discuss Guild Wars 2, ARK, Portal Knights, World of Warcraft, Champions Online, Fractured, Ship of Heroes, Black Desert, Elder Scrolls Online, and Life is Feudal, with mailbag…
Ascent: Infinite Realm’s 2019 launch is the future of Kakao’s international ambitions - Good news, Ascent: Infinite Realm! The future of Kakao's international plans and possible acquisition of western development studios hinges upon your success! Not that the publisher behind Black Desert is…
Massively OP’s 2017 awards debrief and annual recap - As we did in 2014, 2015, and 2016, today I'm going to recap our annual awards and other meta articles from the end of 2017. We gave out 19 formal awards…
Black Desert’s first patch of 2018 awakens the Mystic and adds campsite feature - [AL:BDO]The Mystic class that just flew westward at the tail end of last year is already busying herself with awakening, live in Black Desert as of this morning's patch. But…
Black Desert Mobile shares some details about account linking, character creation, and items - Curious about the play experience of Black Desert Mobile? The developers have put out a helpful FAQ about the game's features, mechanical changes, and so forth, starting by assuring players…
Steam’s best-selling 2017 games include ARK, Warframe, and H1Z1 - With 2017 officially over and done, Steam's taking a moment to report on its best-selling games over the course of the whole year. While there are no specifics shared as…
Massively OP’s Best of 2017 Awards: MMORPG of the Year - Massively Overpowered's end-of-the-year 2017 awards continue today with our award for MMORPG of the Year, which was awarded to Black Desert last year. Recall that in 2014, we couldn’t reach consensus on…
MMO Year in Review: Ashes of Creation vs. Wild West Online (May 2017) - We’re taking a time-machine back through our MMO coverage, month by month, to hit the highlights and frame our journey before we head into 2018! Ashes of Creation blew up…
Massively Overthinking: Our MMO predictions for 2018 - With 2017 drawing to a close and 2018 rushing up to meet us, the Massively OP team has regrouped for another round of bold and goofy predictions for the year…
The MMOs of the Steam winter 2017 sale - Another December, another Steam sale to entice you to spend money on games you don't have time to play just to have them for a rainy day! Here's a quick…
Pearl Abyss to western Black Desert players: ‘We want BDO to last for another 20-30 years’ - [AL:BDO]Pearl Abyss Executive Producer Jaehee Kim has a message for western Black Desert players today. It's not gonna look all that different to what the companies posted for Korean players…
Choose My Adventure Year in Review: Elder Scrolls Online, LOTRO, WildStar, Black Desert, and Neverwinter - So I've been writing this column for a year now. A little more than a year, as it happens, but last year there was no point in doing a whole-column…
Massively OP’s Winter Holiday 2017 guide! - It's that time of year again where the airwaves of certain radio stations are clogged with the same songs from the 1950s, television broadcasts are filled with specials about the…
Black Desert’s version of Santa is dropping Christmas trees and t-bone steaks - [AL:BDO]Black Desert is pretty much synonymous with wacky events, so it'll come as no surprise at all that Kakao has gotten into the spirit of the winter holidays with its…
Leaderboard: What was the most overrated MMO of 2017? - Every year for the last many years, we've done some sort of award for the most underrated MMO, or even the year's sleeper hit. And every year, someone points at…
Black Desert gets another Lahn trailer for its South Korean anniversary - [AL:BDO]Remember when Pearl Abyss and Kakao dropped the first teasers for Lahn, the brand-new toon on the way to Black Desert? PA has a new Korean-language trailer out this weekend…
Massively OP’s Best of 2017 Awards: Best MMORPG PvP of 2017 - Massively Overpowered's end-of-the-year 2017 awards continue today with our award for Best MMORPG PvP, which was awarded to Black Desert and EVE Online in a tie last year, the first year we…
Black Desert bans nearly 600 fish botters - [AL:BDO]In the war between robots and fish, the only side who wins is... wait, is there a war going between robots and fish? Well, assume for the purposes of this…
The Stream Team: Making a Mystic in Black Desert Online - [AL:BDO]It has been a long, long while since Massively OP's MJ made a new character in Black Desert Online, and a new class was just launched today. She's curious to…
Black Desert’s Mystic is fully playable today, just watch out for the yeti - [AL:BDO]Did ya roll your Mystic last week to get all your free loot in the MMO we just named most underrated of 2017? If not, then you should boot up…
Black Desert’s Pearl Abyss on feedback, cadence, and avoiding ‘aggressive’ business models - [AL:BDO]Pearl Abyss' Dae Il Kim sat for an interview with InvenGlobal earlier this fall that's just gone live, and while it might be a bit old, it's packed with juicy…
Moonlight Blade will finally hit open beta in Korea in January - Doesn't it seem as if we've been watching Tencent's wuxia MMO Moonlight Blade for half of forever? Keep watching, but maybe watch a little closer, as Nexon's South Korean edition…
Massively OP’s Best of 2017 Awards: Most Underrated MMO of 2017 - Welcome one and all to Massively Overpowered's end-of-the-year 2017 awards series. Every year, we poll our writers about the best and worst MMOs, stories, studios, and trends and assign awards…
Ask Mo: Counting the hits and misses of our 2017 predictions - As we do every year, today we’re going to peer back into the depths of last year's staff predictions for the genre and the games within it to determine just how…
Here’s a quick peek into the two ‘MMOs’ Pearl Abyss is working on - Back in September during Pearl Abyss' IPO press conference, the South Korean company reps let loose with a ton of information about the state of the studio, including the fact…
Roll a Mystic in Black Desert for fun and profit starting today - [AL:BDO]Fancy yourself a new Mystic toon in Black Desert? You can't play her just yet, but you can roll one starting today. The MMORPG famous for rolling out character creators…
Perfect Ten: The healthiest live MMORPGs at the end of 2017 - As Counting Crows told us, it's been a long December, although the fact that it has also only just started being December speaks to something unpleasant in the makeup of…
Black Desert lays out roadmap with new toon, region, class swapping, and weapon buffs - [AL:BDO]Over the weekend during South Korea's FESTA event, Pearl Abyss slipped out the news that Black Desert is due to get another character: Ran. Turns out that when importing her…
Black Desert welcomes new toon Ran to the roster - [AL:BDO]Is there room for another character class at the Black Desert table? Scooch over and make room no matter what you think on this, because Ran is on her way.…
Black Desert: Epheria Frigate and cookies today; Mystic precustomization next week - [AL:BDO]Black Desert's Mystic class is finally porting westward in December - on the 13th, to be exact, although Kakao will let you "pre-customize" a new Mystic toon beginning with next…
Black Desert Mobile makes compromises to fit in your hand - When you take such a rich and full-featured MMO sandbox like Black Desert and try to fit it on mobile, it only stands to reason that you are going to…
All the best MMO sales of Black Friday 2017 - Step aside, turkey and fambly rage: It's time to buy stuff. Because we don't already unload our wallets the rest of the year on MMOs! Oh wait, yes we do.…
The Stream Team: Sightseeing the second half of Black Desert’s Kamasylvia - [AL:BDO]The second half of Black Desert Online's Kamasylvia expansion launched last week, and you know that means Massively OP's MJ has to explore it! Last time she toured the new…
Black Desert introduces Thanksgiving boss event and halves its B2P fee - [AL:BDO]Kakao announced today both Thanksgiving celebrations and sales for Black Desert. In fact, it's a good time to be jumping into BDO as a total noob, as the game is…
Black Desert resolves disconnect issues, promises compensation - [AL:BDO]North American players have not had the best go of it in Black Desert over the last few weeks. Frequent disconnects have plagued the game, with the studio racing to…
Player protests are kicking off in Black Desert right now - [AL:BDO]Black Desert players are taking the fight to... OK, to Black Desert, in Black Desert, to protest stuff in Black Desert. Right as this post goes live, in fact. "The Black…
Leaderboard: What do you expect out of live MMORPG events in 2017? - Earlier this month, Black Desert GMs ran a live in-game event. I was super excited to hear about something like that in a newer MMORPG until I saw some of…
Black Desert devs responds to datamining dust-up with stat transparency and apologies - [AL:BDO]Remember a week ago when Black Desert dataminers dug up dirt on the game's so-called hidden stats, only to be booted off the subreddit by mods doing Pearl Abyss' bidding?…
Ride to Black Desert’s Kamasylvia part 2 on your ‘dream’ horse - [AL:BDO]Happy Kamasylvia day! Yep, the second half of the massive Kamasylvia expansion has dropped on Black Desert today, though it's not been without its issues; Kakao has noted both connection…
Check out the combat coming for Black Desert Mobile - We don't mean to alarm you, dear readers, but even in the upcoming Black Desert Mobile you will be expected to fight things. You cannot just resolve every conflict with…
Black Desert’s Kamasylvia II expansion launches Wednesday and it’s so pretty - [AL:BDO]Don't tell Justin, but elf-land in Black Desert is about to get much bigger, as the second half of the Kamasylvia update is finally launching this coming Wednesday, November 15th.…
Black Desert Mobile’s character creation is no slouch - Concerned that there is no way for Black Desert Mobile to keep up with its big brother in the character creation department? You may be surprised. Pearl Abyss released a…
Perfect Ten: A list of all the MMORPGs I supposedly hate - Did you know about all the MMOs I hate? I sure as heck didn't! I mean, I knew there were a few games I hated (Scarlet Blade, Alganon) and some…
Black Desert’s Reddit community erupts over Pearl Abyss’ datamining suppression - [AL:BDO]So how do you feel about dataminers? One player apparently datamined a significant chunk of info about Black Desert's so-called hidden stats, posting everything to the game's subreddit to finally…
Kakao will launch Bluehole’s Ascent: Infinite Realm MMORPG in the west - Good morning! Who wants some genuinely good news for the MMORPG genre? Great. Black Desert publisher Kakao is bringing Ascent: Infinite Realm westward. That'd be the Bluehole MMO codenamed Project…
Black Desert kicks off world boss Saturdays, runs through all the seasons in a week - [AL:BDO]World bosses seem to be the thing to add to MMOs the last few years to encourage server cooperation, and Black Desert is now getting in on the trend, adding…
Black Desert revamps endgame PvP with new militia system - [AL:BDO]All right, my PvP dudes. If you love PvP in MMOs but aren't into cheapo ganking over prime farm spots, you reallllly need to take a look at what Black…
Black Desert publisher Kakao declares 550M registered users across all its games - [AL:BDO]Black Desert publisher and South Korean gaming giant Kakao announced this morning that it's accumulated "over 550 million registered users across its games portfolio and services," which includes everything from…
Black Desert adds militias and platoons, starts closed beta signups for Southeast Asia - [AL:BDO]Black Desert's November 1st update is sporting a couple of new ways for players to group up and pursue a common goal. The militia system was designed so that all…
Halloween events across the MMORPG verse, 2017 edition - Hey, you. Yeah, you, dude leeching candy from the bucket you bought "for the neighborhood kids." And you, lady still trying to decide between "Princess Leia" and "lazy zombie" for…
Black Desert ramps up Halloween, brings back black stone event, and deals with downtime - [AL:BDO]Over in Black Desert, there's a red moon rising, and that's just how the players like it. Halloween is ramping up in intensity thanks to this week's update, as Isabella…
The Stream Team: A Black Desert Halloween - [AL:BDO]Halloween is all about the treats, and Black Desert's event promises lots of treats! Massively OP's MJ is going to take on the daily challenges with her Valkyrie to net…
Massively Overthinking: Is open-world housing really a ‘failed’ MMORPG experiment? - Massively OP's Justin Olivetti has a provocative article on his personal gaming blog, Bio Break, this week on MMORPG housing. "I once again wonder why open world housing is this…
Black Desert’s Wonderland-themed Halloween is live with fresh dailies - [AL:BDO]Halloween is live in Black Desert today, with a main event partly inspired by Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. "As the blood moon rises above the Black Desert world, mysterious interdimensional portals allow…
Black Desert’s Wonderland-themed Halloween arrives next week - [AL:BDO]Halloween is coming to Black Desert next week! Some of the new additions are clearly inspired by Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, since…
Perfect Ten: The 10 live MMORPGs everybody should try - If you have ever visited the MMORPG subreddit, you probably know that one of the most frequent posts that pop up are ones asking the community for recommendations. These are…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 138: Mystery MMOs and the mobile revolution - Justin and Bree discuss Guild Wars 2, LOTRO, Star Trek Online, the mobile MMO avalanche, in-development MMOs from AAA studios, Black Desert's Kamasylvia, and Camelot Unchained, with mailbag questions on…
The Stream Team: Exploring Black Desert’s Kamasylvia expansion - [AL:BDO]Black Desert's Kamasylvia expansion launched today, and Massively OP's MJ is eager to see the elven woodlands. She wants to frolic in the Shady Tree Forest and explore the elven…
Black Desert’s free Kamasylvia expansion launches today with tier 9 pegasi - [AL:BDO]Black Desert has just rolled out the first part of its Kamasylvia expansion today - it's a free update that's been long-awaited on western shores, bringing a huge new region with plenty of…
Black Desert is getting a remastered orchestral soundtrack with European orchestras - [AL:BDO]The upcoming soundtrack remaster for Black Desert is nothing but an upside for fans of the game. If you already like the music in the game (you can read Justin's…
Jukebox Heroes: Music from Destiny 2, LOTRO, Absolver, Black Desert, and Champions Online - Apologies for being extensively absent from this column over the last few months! Every day the Massively OP offices are deluged with fan mail demanding, "Bring back Jukebox Heroes! Where…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 136: Westward ho! - Justin and Bree discuss Wild West Online, Star Citizen, EVE Online, Black Desert, Phantasy Star Online 2, FFXIV, DDO, Neverwinter, Ultima Online, and of course Guild Wars 2, with mailbag…
The first chunk of Black Desert’s free Kamasylvia expansion launches next week - [AL:BDO]Remember last week when Kakao hinted that Black Desert's new servers were indication that Kamasylvia was on the way "real soon"? That soon is almost upon us, as Kakao has…
Whatever happened to Black Gold, Order and Chaos Online, and Eden Eternal? - Ever pause during your day and find yourself wondering, "Whatever happened to that game?" With hundreds upon hundreds of online titles these days, it’s surprisingly easy for MMOs to fall through the…
Massively Overthinking: What keeps you from playing mobile MMOs? - Earlier this week, we wrote about Black Desert developer Pearl Abyss' IPO and its grand plans for the future - among them, four additional MMOs. Sounds great, right? Except that…
Black Desert rolls out free-for-all PvP server, welcomes Oktoberfest beer festivals, and teases Kamasylvia - Beer and ganking!
Pearl Abyss is building four more MMOs as Black Desert swells to 7.65M registered users - [AL:BDO]We've been tracking Black Desert developer Pearl Abyss' path to IPO since last spring, when multiple Korean outlets began reporting that the company sought a listing on the Korean stock…
Black Desert is getting a Spanish localization - [AL:BDO]Remember when Black Desert wasn't localized in English and every attempt to play it involved jumping through a lot of hoops in a language you didn't speak? That's still the…
Massively Overthinking: Female characters and gender-locked classes in MMOs - One of the reasons I gravitated to and stick by the MMORPG genre in spite of its many ups and downs (oh, so many downs) over the last two decades…
Black Desert launches Savage Rift patch, back-to-school cash-shop promo - [AL:BDO]Savage Rift is live in Black Desert today as promised; it's the co-op tower defense minigame in which teams of players will protect the Sealed Tower from enemies coming at…
Black Desert launches a tower defense mode dubbed Sealed Tower tomorrow - [AL:BDO]Tomorrow's Black Desert update will make the new biweekly cadence all worthwhile. Its headline feature? Savage Rift, a de facto co-op tower defense minigame in which teams of players will…
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds tops Steam concurrency, drawing from CS:GO’s playerbase - Remember a few weeks back when PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds took League of Legends to town on Twitch, beating Riot's giant for eyeball share on the platform during the Dota 2 tourney…
Black Desert censures Pearl Abyss Taiwan employees found cheating - [AL:BDO]Let this Black Desert story be a lesson. Actually, no, let it be two lessons: Don't cheat, and definitely don't cheat if your job might be on the line. Maybe…
Black Desert shows off 4K console version at Gamescom - It might have gotten buried in this massive list, but Black Desert is one of the MMOs that's slated to receive enhanced treatment by the new Xbox One X. While…
Xbox One X announces ‘select enhanced titles’ that include many online games - At its pre-Gamescom press conference this Sunday, Microsoft revealed more about its upcoming Xbox One X and its glorious 4K gaming capabilities. As part of the conference, the company listed…
Black Desert parent corporation is merging all its game businesses - MMORPG players know Kakao chiefly as the publishing and localization giant behind Pearl Abyss-developed Black Desert, but over in its native South Korea, the company is a massive conglomerate of…
Black Desert Korea introduces a skill fusion system - [AL:BDO]Have more than enough skills on your hotbar these days? Might as well mash them together and see what happens! Yes, it's like your cooking "experiments," only with fewer fatalities…
Today’s Black Desert patch buffs new characters with extra skills - [AL:BDO]It's an every-other-Wednesday, so you know what that means: It's patch day in Black Desert. Kakao says it's launched another round of the Rulupee's World Travel Event in addition two…
Check out a trailer for Black Desert’s mobile version - [AL:BDO]The idea of having a mobile version of Black Desert is no doubt appealing to you if you love the game but occasionally have to leave the house for something,…
Black Desert offers NA players a compensation package for emergency maintenance - [AL:BDO]Good news for Black Desert players in North America, you got some free compensation! The bad news is that it's to make up for emergency maintenance on the game; the…
Massively Overthinking: Is the popularity of small-scale co-op games hurting MMORPGs? - Gamasutra has an unusual piece from an Ubisoft developer this week arguing that co-op gameplay is the industry's rising midcore trend, one that he believes will ultimately outstrip team competitive…
Black Desert team reveals perma-AFK leveling, tent camping, and a wicked sea monster - (We've updated this article since it went live with additional notes from Kakao - it's all at the end!) [AL:BDO]When it comes to divining the future of an MMO that comes…
Black Desert Korea teases massive ocean boss Bell - [AL:BDO]There's no Black Desert patch today as expected, given that Kakao has switched from weekly to biweekly updates. But there's a bit of interesting news out of Pearl Abyss, which…
Choose My Adventure: Get out of here, DC Universe Online - [AL:DCUO]So this is an unusual situation for me: I've never actually played a game for Choose My Adventure that I've disliked this much. Those of you who have followed my…
Black Desert switches to biweekly maintenance, adds Terrmian Waterpark events - Happy patch day, Black Desert folks. Did you enjoy getting maintenance patches every week? Not anymore. "Due to the changes in service maintenance, the next maintenance will occur on August…
Black Desert team on the male Ranger, mobile version, and SEA server - Catching up with the Black Desert developer Pearl Abyss at ChinaJoy 2017, MMO Culture wrung out of the team a short but informative interview about the future of the fantasy…
ChinaJoy 2017: ARK Park, Black Desert, and L2 Revolution - Goodies from this week's ChinaJoy are already trickling back to us. Notably, Snail Games has posted a new trailer and screenshots for ARK Park, its VR-based ARK: Survival Evolved spinoff. "The new trailer…
Black Desert opens hosted PvP arenas in west, previews second awakenings in the east - [AL:BDO]Western players are getting a chunky 1GB patch in Black Desert today as Kakao rolls out structured PvP hosting in the form of Arena of Arsha. "Arena of Arsha has…
RuneScape is a massive hit on Twitch - Time and again, we here at Massively OP have noted how RuneScape seems to be incredibly underestimated by the larger MMO community. For how popular it is, it never seems…
Check out the character creation options for Black Desert’s upcoming Mystic class - [AL:BDO]As it has always gone with Black Desert, there's another new class coming to the game dubbed the Mystic, meant to function as the female equivalent of the male-only Striker…
Black Desert’s patch this week tweaks guild welfare funds as waterpark events continue - Today's Black Desert patch is almost a gig large, but don't expect a massive game revamp today. Probably the biggest change is tweaks to the guild welfare fund: "The distribution…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 127: EVE walks no more - Justin and Bree discuss Secret World Legends, LOTRO, Elder Scrolls Online, Guild Wars 2, EVE, SWTOR, Black Desert, Albion, and Citadel, plus a mailbag question on class and character investment…
Check out Black Desert’s Chinese debut trailer - [AL:BDO]You might be surprised to know that Black Desert hasn't actually launched in China yet, given its status in South Korea and its popularity here in the west, but it's…
Black Desert bans and suspends node exploiters - Last week, Black Desert's Reddit erupted with claims that a popular streamer, who been previously banned and unbanned in a spring crackdown, had unwittingly streamed proof that he was still…
The Stream Team: Beat the heat in Black Desert’s waterpark - The days are hot, and the sand is scorching in Black Desert. Massively OP's MJ hates the heat, but she's heard about a new waterpark she can dive into to…
Massively Overthinking: Consumer protections in the MMORPG industry - Veteran Massively OP reader Miol says he's exhausted by a recent string of stories in which MMO companies screw gamers over, one after another: ARK Survival Evolved, Albion Online, Skyforge,…
Black Desert touts female Striker, Mystic, coming west in Q4 - [AL:BDO]Kakao announced this morning that Black Desert's western version will be launching a female version of the Striker called the Mystic following its debut in Korea and confirming translations of…
Black Desert opens up a waterpark for summer, reduces level XP requirements - Just in time for those dog days of summer is Black Desert, which is making a splash with its new Terrmian Waterpark. Today is the park's grand opening, and you…
Black Desert ups the in-game prices on cash shop items in the auction market - [AL:BDO]Players are making more in-game money in Black Desert than they were a year ago. Part of that is just, you know, a year to refine processes; the other part…
Black Desert begins cookie events, introduces party search features - [AL:BDO]Every MMO needs events themed around cookies, am I right? Black Desert's patch today does just that with the "Pit-a-pat Fortune Cookie" event launching today. "From midnight, July 5 till…
Black Desert has no plans for localized China-only content - [AL:BDO]Chinese players will be able to enjoy a localized version of Black Desert courtesy of Snail Games, but according a recent interview with developers Pearl Abyss the game will not…
Black Desert update makes adjustments to Sausan Garrison mobs, offers compensation for lag - This week's Black Desert update is of particular interest to players tackling quests and enemies around the Sausan Garrison. The team has bumped up XP rewards for those mobs and…
Check out Black Desert Kamasilvia Part II’s Korean teaser trailer - [AL:BDO]Want a peek at Black Desert's Kamasilvia Part II? We're getting one today, and though it's a tease for the Korean version of the game, which is getting the update…
The MMOs of the Steam Summer 2017 Sale - After some ups and downs this afternoon -- everybody loves the "try again later" message, right? -- Valve's summer Steam sale is finally underway and stable. Here's what we're looking…
Black Desert awakens the Striker, doubles karma loss for gankers - Awakening this morning in Black Desert is the still-relatively-new-to-the-West Striker class. "The Striker reaches a new level of mastery over the martial arts, gaining access to a wider range of…
Black Desert introduces Kamasylve Tree event, improved player housing - Today's Black Desert update boasts two headlining features. The first is the kick-off of the Growth of a Kamasylve Tree event, which runs to June 21st and serves as a…
E3 2017: SMITE and Paladins are coming to the Xbox One X on day one - [AL:Smite]Hi-Rez has just announced this morning that both its MOBA SMITE and its MOBA Paladins will launch for the Xbox One X on November 7th, the same day the platform…
Black Desert announces top 10 finalists in fan trailer contest; here they are! - Still reeling from the news that Black Desert is destined for Xbox One next year? How about some community fluff that will also please your eyeballs? Kakao has been running…
E3 2017: Black Desert confirms Xbox ports for 2018 - We've known Black Desert was coming to consoles for a long time now; the first teases landed last year, with confirmation as recently as March. Kakao took the pre-E3 shows…
Black Desert’s patch today extends loyalty events with new rewards - This Black Desert penguin, complete with lens flare, would like to come home with you. He's part of the game's new round of loyalty attendance rewards, which will now run through…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 120: Steaming into summer - Justin and Bree discuss Marvel Heroes, FFXIV, Elder Scrolls Online, SWTOR, Ashes of Creation, Neverwinter, Shroud of the Avatar, and Black Desert, with a mailbag question on "don't give a…
Choose My Adventure: Exploring the purpose and plan of this community column - You are no doubt staring at the title image above and thinking to yourself that it really does not look like a Neverwinter screenshot. And you would be right; it…
Black Desert sells over 127,000 copies on Steam, adds three new servers with today’s patch - The first MMO hit of the summer is already upon us, as Black Desert's debut on Steam has paid off in dividends. Thanks to the high-profile release and a 40%…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 119: Finalest Fantasy - Justin and Eliot discuss FFXIV, FFXI, Black Desert, Neverwinter, World of Warcraft, Secret World Legends, LOTRO, EverQuest, Allods, and RIFT, with mailbag questions on MMO role homogenization, PvP pay-to-win, and…
Black Desert developer Pearl Abyss prepares IPO in Korea - Multiple Korean outlets are reporting that Black Desert developer Pearl Abyss is preparing an initial public offering and seeks a fall listing on the Korean stock exchange. Seoul's Pulse News reports that in…
Black Desert leaps to Steam today, launches the Striker class, and bans exploiters - [AL:BDO]It's a huge day for Black Desert fans! Not only is the game launching on Steam later today (the splash page is up, just not downloadable yet), but the Striker…
Black Desert Online’s Striker class is coming next week - With fists of fury and palms of power, the Striker is kick-punching his way into Black Desert Online next week. The fantasy sandbox's newest class will finally make the jump…
Funcom Q1 2017 financials: ‘Most profitable quarter ever,’ Secret World Legends delayed on Steam - [AL:SWL]Conan Exiles performed beautifully for Funcom, at least during the first part of this year, the company's investor report for the first quarter revealed today. The survival sandbox's early access…
Black Desert kicks off a new Lauren family event - [AL:BDO]You're going to have to forgive us, Black Desert fans, but we don't know much about the Lauren family. We know that the game is kicking off a Lauren family…
The Steam Team: Flouncing about Black Desert’s Florin - [AL:BDO]Thanks to holiday events, it feels like forever since Massively OP's MJ was able to just explore in Black Desert Online. Without any golden geese or colorful eggs to distract…
Choose My Adventure: Wrapping up Black Desert and selecting our next destination - Back when I mentioned that I was learning to like Black Desert a while back, I got this tweet from the game's official account. That was awesome. I liked it…
Black Desert arrives on Steam May 24 - Today's Black Desert patch isn't a big one compared to most, clocking in at under a quarter of a gig, kicking off a new month of attendance awards, and adding…
Massively Overthinking: Are MMORPG players a minority in their own genre? - Deep in the comments of the MMOs-vs.-survival-sandboxes thread from last week, reader miol_ produced a beautiful comment about how MMO players have become a minority in their own genre, which…
Black Desert warns players of possible account breach - Heads-up, Black Desert fans: Kakao just let its players know that their account security may be in jeopardy. "We recently received a report that account security may have been compromised…
Choose My Adventure: Failure to trade in Black Desert - [AL:BDO]Despite my best efforts, I walked away from my trading attempts in Black Desert having been wholly unsuccessful. I consider this a good thing, and it left me with a…
Black Desert’s weekly patch is a big boost to UI customization - This week's Black Desert patch looks small on paper: the game's been buffed with new crafted costumes, ship repair kits, and a modification tool called "sticker UI" that allows players…
Choose My Adventure: Grinding away in Black Desert - Let me talk to you, my friends, about grinding. Specifically, about how it gets a bad reputation that it doesn’t altogether deserve. How does this connect to this week's adventures…
Black Desert’s Striker kickpunches his way onto Korean servers - The newest Black Desert class is no slouch in bringing meaty beatdowns to foes, as some players are discovering this week. The kick-punching martial arts Striker has landed on Korean…
Pearl Abyss might be hiring for a Black Desert Southeast Asia localization - [AL:BDO]It's always tricky to suss out unannounced plans for a developer from nothing more than job postings, but that's never stopped anyone before. Pearl Abyss, the developer behind Black Desert,…
The Stream Team: Egg-citing times in Black Desert Online - [AL:BDO]It's almost Easter, and that means it's time for egg hunts! Black Desert is celebrating the season with a Golden Flondor Goose Egg Event. Massively OP's MJ needs to collect…
Black Desert promotes free trial with new ‘Friends’ trailer - [AL:BDO]In case you've somehow forgotten that Black Desert (inarguably one of the prettiest MMORPGs on the market and the winner of our MMO of the 2016 award)-- is going to get even…
Massively OP’s spring and Easter MMORPG event roundup - Bunnies and eggs! Flowers and grass! Lots and lots of chocolate as we hoard every Cadbury thing we can find! (Or maybe that's just me?) Yep, Easter is this weekend,…
Choose My Adventure: Learning to appreciate Black Desert - [AL:BDO]First and foremost, I'd like to thank the many people who informed me about how to hide the UI in Black Desert. I shouldn't have needed to be told that,…
Black Desert’s Dark Knight awakens as spring blossoms with new goose egg event - As promised, the popular Dark Knight class has awakened in Black Desert with today's weekly update. "Her awakening weapon, named ‘Vediant’ is a set of phantom blades that are magically summoned…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 112: Heroic measures - Justin and Bree discuss Marvel Heroes, Ship of Heroes, SWTOR, Secret World Legends, Black Desert, EVE Fanfest, LOTRO, WoW, and GW2, with reader mail on MMO dress-up and City of…
Black Desert’s 2017 plans include Striker class, climbing, and airships - [AL:BDO]If you happen to be a Black Desert player, then this weekend is bound to be a time of joy and celebration for you. The team announced its development plans…
Choose My Adventure: Muddling through the start of Black Desert - [AL:BDO]After my first week of playing, I don't know if I actually like Black Desert very much. I also don't know entirely if it's very good at what it's trying…
Black Desert plans Dark Knight awakening, weekend content reveal - [AL:BDO]The Black Knight awakens in Black Desert next week. Kakao says she's become "one of the most popular classes" since her launch in March. "Her awakening weapon, named 'Vediant' is…
Black Desert gooses its players in this week’s patch - [AL:BDO]MMO got your goose? Now you can get it back with this week's Flondor Goose Egg event in Black Desert. Courtesy of the new 1.37 GB patch, the event has…
Black Desert’s South American edition will launch buy-to-play - [AL:BDO]Black Desert's South American edition will launch as a buy-to-play MMORPG, Portuguese-language website MMO Vicio reported earlier this week. Redfox Games will host servers in both Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese.…
April Fools’ Day 2017: Hijinks across the MMOverse - If you don't like tricks and jokes, just stop reading right now, turn the lights off, and go climb back into bed. Nothing on the internet is going to bring…
Choose My Adventure: Gearing up for Black Desert - [AL:BDO]I’m going to be honest with you, folks; the last Choose My Adventure installment left me feeling kind of depressed. It’s a shame to see a game that could have…
Today’s Black Desert patch adds new voices, fogs up Kamasylvia release window - [AL:BDO]Don't like your voice in Black Desert? Time to change it! Kakao's patch today is live now and adds character voice customization -- 6 for dudes, 10 for dudettes. As…
Pearl Abyss is still working on a Black Desert console port - [AL:BDO]Back in January, we learned from a Black Desert Taiwan release interview that Pearl Abyss had big plans to port the Korean-born MMORPG to both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.…
Black Desert GM punishes a player with a writing assignment - [AL:BDO]The hard part about being a GM has to be when you're dealing with a certain brand of player. You know the sort; they're the ones making other people's time…
Choose My Adventure: Wrapping up WildStar - Writing about WildStar at this point feels weird. Obviously, I just finished up playing the game for this feature for four weeks. It feels fresh in my mind. And in…
Black Desert’s spring patch spawns cherry blossom events - [AL:BDO]Today's Black Desert patch isn't a massive one, but it's going to be welcomed by anyone sick unto death of winter. Yep, the update heralds the "awesome cherry blossom event"…
The Stream Team: Black Desert’s Port Epheria - [AL:BDO]Last time Massively OP's MJ was in Black Desert, she hitched a ride on a boat to a new port. Now she's got plenty of new areas to explore --…
St Paddy’s Day MMORPG deals and events roundup - Happy St Patrick's Day, everyone! This particular holiday isn't the best for sales, for dumb jokes, or for deep events, but the MMORPG genre has a little bit of all…
Black Desert’s St Patrick’s Day patch brought its own beer - [AL:BDO]It is written in The MMORPG Code that MMOs, especially those of foreign pedigree, must indulge our most silly faux holidays. I'm sure that's the case, else why would an…
Jukebox Heroes: Your favorite MMO themes, #24-19 - What are the best and most popular MMO theme songs of all time? A couple of weeks ago I posed this question to the Massively OP community and encouraged fans…
Black Desert rolls out two new anniversary events today - [AL:BDO]Black Desert's anniversary month patches continue to roll out this week. This morning, Kakao updated with the NPC's Gratitude Event, which is similar to the Valentine's Day events last month.…
The Stream Team: A belated Black Desert anniversary - [AL:BDO]Although she was able to log in and celebrate last week, Massively OP's MJ was sad that she couldn't celebrate Black Desert Online's anniversary with you. So why not hop…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 107: Dark Knight rises - Justin and Bree discuss Guild Wars 2, WoW, Torment, Black Desert, Age of Conan and Anarchy Online maintenance mode, WildStar, Darkfall Rise of Agon, Path of Exile, and Revelation Online's…
Black Desert is due for a ‘full-scale graphic remastering later this year’ - [AL:BDO]At GDC last week, Black Desert took center stage as the subject of a demo from Silicon Studio showing off YEBIS, its post-processing software. "I thought that Black Desert Online’s…
You drank more than 364M beers in Black Desert during its first year in the west - [AL:BDO]In fact, you probably drank four times that. Happy birthday, Black Desert! Yep, the Korean-born MMORPG is celebrating one year in the west today. Earlier this week, Kakao rolled out its…
Black Desert celebrates first anniversary with Dark Knight launch, birthday gifts - [AL:BDO]The Dark Knight is officially live in Black Desert today as part of the game's first anniversary update. Hardcore players probably already took advantage of the pre-creation event, but if…
Black Desert brings out the Dark Knight on March 1st - [AL:BDO]Good news, fans of knights with requisite darkness! Black Desert is bringing the Dark Knight to local shores on March 1st, allowing everyone in the world to be as dark…
Black Desert teases Dark Knight pre-creation for tomorrow’s patch - [AL:BDO]Get excited -- but not too excited. The western branch of Black Desert this afternoon teased a silhouette of the Dark Knight in conjunction with a note about tomorrow's update.…
Massively Overthinking: Are MMOs designed for ‘low-skill gamers’? - Ages ago on the MMORPG subreddit, a player made a bold statement: MMORPGs are designed for low-skill gamers. "I remember being dazzled by EverQuest and Ultima as a child," he…
People are falling through the world in Black Desert - Whatever you do, don't go to Shakatu's Territory in Black Desert today. "We are aware of a hole in the game world that is allowing players to fall through," Kakao…
The Stream Team: Sparks fly in Black Desert for Valentine’s Day - Have you ever wanted to see sparks fly on Valentine's Day? You can! And you don't even have to buy dinner or flowers first -- you just need to head…
Massively OP’s guide to Valentine’s Day around the MMORPG verse - Ready for sappy questlines, particle effects that look like hearts, and lots -- and I do mean lots -- of pink? Valentine's day has arrived in the real world and…
Black Desert’s western launch helped Kakao’s games division have a great 2016 - Kakao is a major company in South Korea with over 5000 employees and its fingers in many pies, from a major instant messaging app and taxi service to online music…
Black Desert’s Valentine’s Day events and ocean rescue system arrive today - Valentine's Day has come to Black Desert Online in a 1 GB patch today -- they take V-day seriously, these folks at Kakao. Beginning today, players can take part in…
Black Desert’s Dark Knight journeys westward in March - The Dark Knight is coming westward, Black Desert fans -- maybe sooner than you thought. March, in fact! "The Dark Knight is the next character class that players will be…
Black Desert patches in gold chests and a level 50 guide - A gold treasure chest would be pretty useless. Leaving aside the fact that gold is a soft metal and making a treasure chest out of it would be not very…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 102: Sailing into the future - Justin and Larry discuss LOTRO, Elder Scrolls Online, SWTOR, Star Trek Online, Asheron's Call, H1Z1, Black Desert, and Guild Wars 2, with a special Bree monologue about the new comment…
The Stream Team: Out on Black Desert’s expanded ocean - What should follow a desert expansion? An ocean! Black Desert Online's Margoria expansion this week opened up vast stretches of the high seas for adventure. And luckily for Massively OP's…
Black Desert’s GMs ran some epic live Margoria events yesterday - Missing studio-led MMORPG events in your games, especially as Asheron's Call goes dark next week? Kakao apparently did too, as the launch of the Margoria expansion in Black Desert yesterday…
Black Desert’s Margoria expansion sends gamers to the high seas today - Suit up and man the decks, me hearties: Black Desert's Margoria expansion is going live today. "The Margoria Expansion pushes the limits of what is possible in current-day MMORPGs with…
Black Desert considers second Awakenings, console port; releases Dark Knight trailer - What does the future hold for Black Desert? The present holds the game releasing in Taiwan, but the future is a bit more up in the air. Still, there are…
Black Desert introduces the family fame system with today’s patch - Live in today's Black Desert patch is what Kakao is calling the "family fame" system, which looks like a way to encourage alting and broadened accounts. "All characters stats within…
Black Desert’s ship-faring Margoria expansion sails westward January 25 - You might have noticed that yesterday's wee Black Desert patch included a brief mention of Margoria preload content. That's because the naval-themed Margoria expansion is indeed on the way, sooner…
Perfect Ten: The best MMORPG updates and expansions of 2016 (that aren’t Legion) - Sometimes you have to exclude something from a list. I could, for example, praise World of Warcraft: Legion for being a really good expansion yet again... but I already did…
Battle Bards Episode 89: Nightfall - When the sun goes down, the Battle Bards’ work has just begun! In this week’s episode, the crew explores nighttime music cues in MMOs, chasing the ever-elusive feel of what…
Black Desert Online extends Lavientias event, gives XP bump - Citing an issue with the current Lavientia event, Black Desert said that it will be extending the event so players can be assured of getting enough rewards before it ends. Lavientia…
The most popular MMORPG conversations of 2016 - Last week, we posted a rundown of the most popular MMORPG articles of 2016, calculated strictly by the number of pageviews they got. Today, we're going to take a look at the…
The best Massively OP streams of 2016 - The number of games our wee little Stream Team covers in the span of a year is staggering. If you ever wanted to know what an MMORPG looks like and…
The best Massively OP MMO polls of 2016 - Every week for the last few years, we've expanded on our "Daily Grind" theme with a Leaderboard poll. I've had a blast taking over Leaderboard; Daily Grinds always get lovely qualitative…
Massively OP’s Best of 2016 Awards: MMORPG of the Year - Massively Overpowered's end-of-the-year 2016 awards continue today with our award for MMORPG the Year, which was awarded to Final Fantasy XIV last year. Recall that in 2014, we couldn't reach consensus on an…
MMO Year in Review: We are Legion (August 2016) - This year, we’re taking a time-machine back through our MMO coverage, month by month, to hit the highlights and frame our journey before we head into 2017. World of Warcraft…
Black Desert’s Nouver boss has awakened, has his sights set on you - You guys were all obsessed with class awakenings that this week's Black Desert boss awakening is gonna jump up and getchoo: "The World Boss Nouver has finally awakened, prepare yourself…
Choose My Adventure: The Elder Scrolls Online in review - Back when I played through The Elder Scrolls Online's beta, I said that it was another generic fantasy MMO in a field already choked with them. The latter part has…
MMO Year in Review: A wild Black Desert approaches (February 2016) - This year, we’re taking a time-machine back through our MMO coverage, month by month, to hit the highlights and frame our journey before we head into 2017. February, abbreviated as…
Jukebox Heroes: The 2016 Online VGM Awards - With all of the award madness going on at Massively OP this month, it's the perfect time to unveil the 2016 Online VGM Awards! It's been a great year of…
The most popular Massively OP MMO articles of 2016 - One of my favorite things to do every year is break down the top articles on the site for our readers. You might think you already know what the biggest stories…
Massively Overthinking: Our 2017 MMORPG predictions - With 2016 drawing to a close and 2017 rushing up to meet us, the Massively OP team has regrouped for another round of bold and goofy predictions for the year ahead.…
MMO Year in Review: Blade & Soul reaches western shores (January 2016) - December's many article roundups and awards always remind us that it's hard to remember what happened last month, let alone what happened way back at the beginning, so this year…
Massively OP’s Best of 2016 Awards: Best MMORPG PvP of 2016 - Massively Overpowered's end-of-the-year 2016 awards continue today with our award for Best MMORPG PvP Experience in 2016, which is new to our awards series this year as proposed by proposed by strangesands and…
Black Desert’s Witch and Wizard awaken today - The Witch and Wizard awaken today in Black Desert this morning, and they'd like some coffee please. Not only will your spellslinger be more of a badass, but you can roll a…
Massively OP’s Best of 2016 Awards: Biggest MMORPG Industry Blunder of 2016 - Massively Overpowered's end-of-the-year 2016 awards continue today with our award for Biggest MMORPG Industry Blunder of 2016. Last year, we called the Star Citizen melodrama the biggest blunder of the year, as we…
Massively OP’s guide to the 2016 MMORPG winter holidays - It's time to get all snuggly in front of a crackling fire, roast up some chestnuts, down a gallon of hot chocolate, and log into your favorite online RPGs for…
Massively OP’s Best of 2016 Awards: Worst MMORPG Business Model of 2016 - Massively Overpowered's end-of-the-year 2016 awards continue today with our award for Worst MMORPG Business Model of 2016, which is another new consideration for us this year thanks to a proposal from readers…
Massively Overthinking: Our favorite MMORPG stories of the year - Earlier this week, we posted our award for the biggest MMORPG story of the year -- the one we thought had the biggest impact on our genre. But in tonight's…
Black Desert opens up seven-day free trials, halves sale price through holidays - The winter holidays are live in Black Desert as of yesterday, but what if you never actually bought the game and wish you could visit in person? Merry Christmas, says…
Massively OP’s Best of 2016 Awards: Best MMORPG Business Model of 2016 - Massively Overpowered's end-of-the-year 2016 awards continue today with our award for Best MMORPG Business Model of 2016, which is a new award we're doling out for the first time this year…
Winter festivities arrive in Black Desert today - It's Christmas in Black Desert! Or at least it will be once the extra maintenance is over. Kakao is kicking off the winter festivities today with snow falling in appropriate…
Take a look at Black Desert Online’s Dark Knight in action - So, what do we know about Black Desert Online's Dark Knight so far? After the initial reveal we know that she exists, she's got a big sword, and she left…
Massively OP’s Best of 2016 Awards: Biggest MMORPG Story of 2016 - Massively Overpowered's end-of-the-year 2016 awards continue today with our award for Biggest MMORPG Story of 2016, which was awarded to the SOE/Daybreak formation drama last year. This isn't an award based on popularity as measured…
Black Desert Online’s Dark Knight is coming soon in Korea - Players of Black Desert Online's Korean version will get to start enjoying the Dark Knight on December 15th, but those of us over here in the states will have to…
Perfect Ten: The healthiest live MMORPGs at the end of 2016 - About a year and a half ago, my colleague, co-worker, and friend to man and beast alike Justin compiled a list of the healthiest live MMOs at the time. Since…
Black Desert’s Ninja and Kunoichi awaken this morning - Yes, the Ninja and Kunoichi awakening update is live today in Black Desert. Kakao has upgraded both classes with their new weapons, both designed to boost their offense -- or…
The Stream Team: Black Desert butchery on the single server - Black Friday may be over (thank goodness!), but Black Desert is still here (ditto!), and Massively OP's MJ feels like roaming the world on her Valkyrie. Since the giant turkey…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 94: Play this expansion, meatbag! - Justin, Bree, and Larry talk SWTOR KOTET, Elder Scrolls Online lockboxes, GW2, Black Desert, Daybreak, and Crowfall, with a mailbag question on the Nostalrius WoW emulator.
Black Desert Korea teases this month’s Dark Knight class launch - There are good points and bad about getting imports from overseas, but one of the good, at least from my perspective, is that we have an idea what's eventually coming…
Maplestory’s V: Limitless arrives along with downtime compensation - Black Desert fans weren't the only ones waiting extra long for their servers to return to service today after a major update: Maplestory players -- Maplers, as Nexon calls them…
Perfect Ten: The biggest MMORPG stories of 2016 - As we start to come to grips with the fact that we will be turning over the calendar into 2017 in one short month, it might just be for the…
Black Desert’s whole New World is live today, boost server opens tomorrow - If you're a Black Desert fan just waking up and stumbling to the internet this morning, good news: The game is back online. It's been down since yesterday afternoon, depending…
Black Desert’s ‘New World’ server merge will keep the game offline most of Wednesday - Black Desert's big "New World" server merging is set to finalize tomorrow on schedule, Daum announced today, changing up the usual maintenance cadence: The servers will go down on Wednesday at…
The Stream Team: Battling turkey leftovers in Black Desert - Instead of beating her way through a mob of shoppers, Massively OP's MJ is spending her Black Friday beating her way through mobs in Black Desert Online. There's plenty of…
Massively OP’s guide to MMO Thanksgiving 2016 - As you're gobble, gobbling up food today, rooting for your favorite football team, and enduring the uncomfortable political conversations at the dinner table, you might be tempted to take some…
The best Thanksgiving and Black Friday MMORPG deals - Getcher credit cards ready, folks. It's time. (New additions are at the bottom!) The Secret World is part of the Humble Bundle this week; you can pick it up for…
Black Desert’s Musa and Maehwa awaken, base game on sale for 50% off - If the patch goes to plan, the Musa and Maehwa awaken with new polearms in today's Black Desert update. "The Musa can now switch to the Crescent Blade, which is reminiscent…
Black Desert gives a sneak peek at Dark Elves, new areas, and more - Black Desert is on a hot streak of activity is month. The title merged servers in its "New World" update earlier this month while also announcing a partnership with a tech…
Black Desert guild heraldry sparks questions over offensive symbols - This past week, an interesting guild situation arose in Black Desert. A Massively OP tipster was surprised by an unusual symbol above the entrance to a particular guild city and bedecking its…
Choose My Adventure: Don’t call it a comeback - Hello, dear readers. Would you like to tell me what to do for a while? Choose My Adventure has been absent from the site for a little while due to…
A freakishly large turkey has invaded Black Desert - Today's Black Desert patch is surprisingly meaty, and we're not just talking about turkeys (though we're talking about them too). Yes, the update includes the game's Thanksgiving event, which amounts…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 91: Accounting 101 - Justin and Bree talk NCsoft & Nexon, Neocron, Marvel Heroes, SWTOR, EVE Online, Black Desert, Twin Saga, and The Secret World, with mailbag questions on MMO factions and Blizzard's duty…
Black Desert partners with Silicon Studio for tech sharing - Could Black Desert look and perform even better than it does right now? Pearl Abyss thinks so, as the studio has signed a "memorandum of understanding" with Japan's Silicon Studio to…
Black Desert Online merges down into EU and NA ‘New World’ servers - If you ever thought that Black Desert's server structure was unwieldy and esoteric, good news for you! Kakao has announced that the western version of the game will be merging…
Tamriel Infinium: Elder Scrolls Online roleplay with the Human Floyd - Those who follow my columns here know that I'm a big roleplayer, but I don't exactly roleplay in the Elder Scrolls Online. I love the setting and the stories built…
The Valkyrie awakens in Black Desert today - The Valkyrie awakens in Black Desert today with her new awakening weapon, a lance named... wait for it... Lancia. It allows the class to stab from afar and joust the enemy…
Today’s Black Desert’s patch preps a whirlwind of seasonal events - Today's Black Desert patch is a relatively small one once you set aside the cash shop additions. Kakao has tweaked items, adjusted pet sounds, modified animations, buffed Hexe Sanctuary, and…
Kakao permabans Black Desert shovel exploiters - This past weekend, Black Desert devs disabled some unusual items in the game: shovels and empty bottles. It turned out that exploiters had been using the items to take advantage of…
Black Desert’s patch today buffs the Tamer with her awakening weapon - Today's Black Desert update adds the Tamer's awakening weapon, a bo staff that expands the Tamer's melee abilities: "The Celestial Bo Staff allows Tamers to more easily target small groups…
Black Desert acknowledges infinite gathering bug, promises ‘action’ against exploiters - Last weekend, Black Desert devs disabled some unusual items in the game: shovels and empty bottles. While at the time, Kakao said it had merely discovered a bug, players across…
Black Desert players claim to have dug up a massive infinite-gathering exploit - Over the weekend, Daum disabled shovels and empty bottles in Black Desert. Why? The "team discovered a bug with the current implementation" -- that's the official statement. Players on Reddit and…
Massively OP’s guide to MMO Halloween 2016 - "Two things I did on Hallows Night: / Made my house April-clear / Left open wide my door / to the ghosts of the year." ~ "All Hollows Night" by Lizette…
Black Desert’s patch heralds Halloween events, horse racing - Black Desert's going all out for Halloween! Today's patch drenches the game with all the trappings of the spooky holiday trappings of the holiday, complete with a trick-or-treating event through which players…
Black Desert promises compensation for botched attendance rewards - When you're running a special promotion to get players to log in to your game, the last thing you'd want is for the game to deny the payout of proper…
Today’s Black Desert patch brings life to the seas, awakening to the Ranger - [update]Update: And it's live, but it's a trainwreck, so it's down again under emergency maintenance.[/update] Margoria is coming to Black Desert this winter, but in the meantime, Kakao is fleshing…
Black Desert: West and east see new awakenings this week - Black Desert has a big patch out for Korean players this week, complete with the Wizard's water-themed awakening weapon, the last of the classes still needing one. There's a trailer for…
The Stream Team: Touring Black Desert’s capital of Calpheon - Usually cities in MMORPGs are more like villages or towns. And there there is Black Desert. The capital city of Calpheon on like a zone unto itself. Last time, MassivelyOP's…
Black Desert preps for next week’s ocean patch, talks life skills - Black Desert is back online this morning after a brief patch intended to help prep for next week's massive ocean content update -- or as one forum commenter put it,…
Black Desert’s Berserker class awakens in today’s update - The Berserker awakens in Black Desert today with the addition of his Iron Buster awakening weapon, which we're certain you'll agree is the best name ever for a weapon. "The…
The Stream Team: Bottoms up in Black Desert’s beer festival - There's a beer festival brewing in Black Desert, and who is MassivelyOP's MJ to pass up on a festival? Besides, grinding can work up a mighty thirst! On top of…
PSA: Black Desert is $10 for 10 days - It's always a great day when a buy-to-play game goes on sale because then you can pick it up and just sit on it for as long as you like…
Today’s Black Desert patch awakens the Sorceress, beer festival - It's patch day in Black Desert! Kakao's sandbox has just returned from its morning maintenance, fully patched up with the Sorceress awakening, first revealed to Korean players late last year:…
Black Desert’s Pearl Abyss on consoles, swimsuits, and global reception - Dualshockers has a new interview out with Black Desert's Pearl Abyss, the Korean-based studio that develops the original game (Kakao is the western publisher, you'll recall). Lead Producer Jae Hee…
A deep-dive into MMORPG housing: RIFT vs. WildStar - If you took a casual poll of the MMO community and asked which game's player housing system was the best and most robust, chances are that you would end up…
Awaken the Witch in Black Desert Korea’s teaser trailer - What does a Black Desert Witch look like when you wake her up? Now you can see! OK, maybe it's not quite the same thing, but you can see what…
Black Desert’s Valencia II, desert PvP system, and Warrior Awakening arrive today - Part II of Black Desert's Valencia expansion releases today alongside the Warrior class Awakening, which allows level 55+ Warriors to unlock the Greatsword weapon. "The Greatsword will not replace the…
Black Desert plans to roll out all Awakenings by the end of the year - Whatever your choice of class in Black Desert, you have an Awakening waiting. The game's native Korean version has been steadily rolling out Awakening options for each class, while the…
Massively Overthinking: The best combat systems in MMORPGs - One of the big problems in the MMORPG genre as I see it is game studios' inclination to prioritize combat above all else, turning what once was a genre stuffed…
Gamescom 2016: Black Desert’s video avalanche - Black Desert devs have unloaded a bundle of new trailers on Gamescom-goers and -watchers alike. Let's take a look! First up is a two-parter from Pearl Abyss (with English subtitles)…
The Stream Team: Learning to love melee in Black Desert - With only one exception, MassivelyOP’s MJ hasn't really enjoyed playing melee classes... until now. She's been having a blast with Black Desert’s Valkyrie! Having a heal certainly helps, but she's…
Black Desert promises Awakening weapons ‘quite soon after GamesCom’ - In response to a player requesting hints about when Black Desert's Awakening weapon systems might drop, Kakao has dutifully produced a teaser. "Not next week, but quite soon after GamesCom,"…
Leaderboard: Is Black Desert destined for free-to-play in the west? - On this week's podcast, Justin and I discussed the general MMO blogger sentiment that Black Desert's recent business model drama -- specifically, the addition of an optional sub and the entry…
Massively Overthinking: Our favorite MMORPG soundtracks - MOP's Justin Olivetti created the music-centered Jukebox Heroes column back on Massively-that-was and brought it along to us here, and to this day it's one of my favorites. It's also…
The Stream Team: Black Desert’s Bloody Monastery - MassivelyOP's MJ might have accidentally leveled more than she intended to over Black Desert's bonus XP weekend. How did that happen? It came about from exploring (and defending herself) at…
Kakao to Black Desert players: Chargebacks have consequences - Kakao is putting its foot down when it comes to Black Desert players' chargebacks -- that is, attempting to reverse payment for a product using the credit card company as…
Black Desert’s controversial cash shop patch is live today - With Black Desert's patch this morning, cash-shop items are officially popping up on the auction house -- that includes pets, outfits, value packages, and horse gear, but not functional costumes.…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 77: Improving your lockbox experience - Justin and Bree discuss Guild Wars 2, Diablo III, RIFT, Elder Scrolls Online, Blizzard, Black Desert, and TERA, with mailbag questions on new blood for MMOs and a lockbox rant.
Kakao denies mass-banning on Black Desert forums - Black Desert players have been up in arms over several recently announced changes to the formerly buy-to-play game, including a de facto subscription and plan to allow players to purchase items from the…
The Stream Team: Whisperings of Black Desert’s black wisp - MassivelyOP’s MJ has been ignoring that malevolent little black wisp in Black Desert for a while now, but she can't avoid it forever. If nothing else, its constant whispers would…
Black Desert: Community uproar and analysts on Kakao - Black Desert forumgoers dug up an article in the Korea Herald from a few weeks ago that suggests publisher Kakao is using its games business (which extends well beyond Black…
Black Desert players explode over plan to allow cash shop items on the in-game market - Did you hear that noise? It's the sound of Black Desert players flipping tables. "Game went from FFXIV to ArcheAge in span of 2 months," wrote one Redditor. "What happened?"…
Black Desert patch heralds the start of Valencia sieges, bans another round of cheaters - Valencia Sieges will begin this Sunday, according to Black Desert Online's most recent patch notes. That should give players a few days to prepare for the brutal siege warfare that…
Black Desert has selected the best community PvP trailers - Recently, Black Desert ran a community contest to prompt players to create trailers to show off the game's various PvP features. This Warfare Trailer event has now concluded, and Daum…
Battle Bards Episode 79: Combat music - Ready to battle it out more than usual? The Battle Bards are cranking up the combat tunes from MMORPGs today, inviting all sorts of violence and slap-happy tempos into the…
Black Desert’s biggest bot creator is being sued by Daum - The maker of the most popular bot for Black Desert has been forced to take his creation offline following a lawsuit started by Daum's European branch. Reddit has uncovered the…
Jukebox Heroes: Black Desert Online’s soundtrack - If I had to describe Black Desert Online's score in one word, I would probably go with "lovely." Generally, it's a very lovely soundtrack. Maybe not the best I've ever…
The Stream Team: Back at the Black Desert quest grind - Everywhere MassivelyOP's MJ turns, there are more NPCs asking for help in Black Desert -- and she just can't seem to say no! It doesn't matter how many quests MJ…
Black Desert starts up the next stage of its Golden Event - You've had your chance with fishing, and you've had your chance with slaughtering monsters, but now it's time for gatherers in Black Desert Online to get a chance at five…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 75: Future oracles - Justin and Bree discuss WoW, Guild Wars 2, Shards Online, LOTRO & DDO, FFXIV, Black Desert, and more, with a mailbag question on boosting GW2 characters.
Kunoichi awakening hits Black Desert Korea Thursday - Black Desert Kunoichi players rejoice! While it won't be available in the North American version for a time, BDO Korea will get to see this class' awakening this week. On…
Black Desert Online’s Korean version adds in a new region and underwater combat - Now that Black Desert Online has landed in North America and is humming along nicely, it's sometimes easy to forget that the game has several more updates waiting in the…
Leaderboard: Is Black Desert’s new subscription value pack pay-to-win? - Black Desert players are on fire over the new subscription value pack. Well not literally on fire, but damn close. MOP reader Sally pointed us to threads on the MMORPG…
Naval warfare is coming to Black Desert in Q4 2016 - Yesterday we noted that Black Desert is currently introducing naval warfare in the MMO's Korean version. Today, we have confirmation that these sea battles will be coming to the west no…
Black Desert: Siege warfare and value packs in the west, naval battles in the east - The PvP game in Black Desert has ramped up with the formal addition of conquest and node warfare. As if you needed an excuse to take a cudgel to your fellow…
Black Desert touts one million players, teases Gamescom booth - Kakao is touting its one millionth Black Desert player as it heads to Gamescom later this summer. If you'll be in Cologne for the event, you'll be experiencing "[...] the unreleased…
Black Desert revises skill awakening and reset systems - If you've been eagerly anticipating Black Desert's upcoming skill awakening system, you might want to take note of a few changes. Renamed skill add-on instead of awakening, this system will…
Black Desert begins new fishing event, buffs elephants, promises free character slot - Black Desert is back online this morning with its interim patch. Of note, Kakao has tweaked the Sorcerer, added new crystals and cash shop goodies, made elephants more awesome, tinkered…
Black Desert’s Ninja and Kunoichi arrive July 20, siege system July 17 - The Ninja and Kunoichi are coming! This would probably be bad news for you in real life, but it's lovely news for Black Desert players over in the west. "The…
Black Desert wants to see your pretty faces in its Beauty Album - Why spend hours in an MMO character creator only to cover your face up in a helmet where no one, including you, ever gets to gaze upon your lovely visage?…
Kakao argues that Black Desert is not pay-to-win - Yesterday, Daum -- or I suppose we should be calling it Kakao Games Europe now -- posted up a quick Black Desert FAQ with answers from the devs. There's a…
The Stream Team: Milking Black Desert cows - There are plenty of... different... things to do on Black Desert. You've already seen MassivelyOP's MJ tame a wild horse; now you can watch her milk a cow! Seriously. As promised,…
Black Desert publisher Daum EU rebrands as Kakao - Back in April, we wrote about the company structure behind Black Desert publisher Daum, which is owned by South Korea's Kakao, which also owns Nzin, with which Daum was merging. The…
Black Desert: From Korea’s open beta to now - Pearl Abyss has released a new trailer this morning for its Korean Black Desert players showcasing the game's progress from its original open beta to now -- eight additional classes,…
The Stream Team: Braving Black Desert’s Valencia - Today, Black Desert dropped the first part of the Valencia update, making the world a much bigger -- and scarier -- place. But that's not going to deter MassivelyOP's MJ!…
Black Desert Online launches the Valencia Part One update - Ready to head into the desert in Black Desert Online? If not, why not? Few other titles are so explicit about where you're going, after all; it's not like the…
The Stream Team: Squashing Black Desert bugs - Even if she wanted to right now, MassivelyOP's MJ couldn't siege in Black Desert thanks to the bug-induced delay. But that's OK because there are plenty of other things still…
The first chunk of Black Desert’s Valencia update lands tomorrow - Black Desert's Valencia is really, truly on the way -- tomorrow, in fact -- with 500+ new quests, the upgraded enchantment system, guild housing, and whale hunting. Actual whales, not…
Black Desert Online guilds lead a celebrity (picture) invasion in the game - Do you play MMOs to get away from the endless parade of celebrities in the media? Is one of your greatest joys in life being able to log into Black…
Massively Overthinking: Is every MMORPG with a cash shop pay-to-win? - This week's Massively Overthinking comes to us from one of our dear Patreon Patrons, Duane. "There seems to be an ever broadening attitude towards what is pay-to-win. Recently I was…
Black Desert postpones its siege schedule over bugs - After numerous delays, Daum implemented the "rehearsal" version of Black Desert's siege system last week, but it's already decided to postpone the real deal. "Unfortunately the two most recent bugs have…
E3 2016: Black Desert on PvP, sieges, and lessons learned - Though Daum didn't have a booth at this year's E3, I managed to snag some time with Black Desert PR/Marketing Manager Rick van Beem. Given some of the recent rumblings about delayed content and…
Black Desert promises fixes for last patch, plans mobile version - Friday's massive Black Desert patch was a messy one, hence this morning's minor update. The chief changes are a small nerf to tamers and a big fix for buy orders…
The Stream Team: Getting on your high horse in Black Desert - It's finally time. MassivelyOP's MJ is ready to tame her first horse in Black Desert. But ready to and able to are very much two different things! She's got to…
Black Desert nerfs ghillie suit, preps revamped skill system, and kicks off soccer event - Times, they are a-changin' in Black Desert Online. The fantasy sandbox received a major patch on Friday that had a far-reaching impact across the game. The update is too large…
Check out the Ninja Awakening for the Korean version of Black Desert Online - The Korean version of Black Desert Online is going to issue a wake-up call to Ninjas very soon. It's the next class to get an Awakening, and the trailer shows…
Desert Nomad: Massively OP’s guide to Black Desert’s siege warfare - Hello friends, and welcome back to Desert Nomad. This week is a pretty big one for Black Desert, as I’m sure you’re all aware. At some point this week, the…
Black Desert’s Siege Warfare patch has been delayed again - Hope you weren't planning on Black Desert's Siege Warfare content update launching as planned: Daum has delayed it once again, this time to Friday, June 17th. "While preparing the siege…
Get a prize for completing Black Desert Online siege warfare tutorial - On June 15th, you can go to war in Black Desert Online. That means claiming territory, trying to defend that territory, being angry when you fail to defend that territory,…
Black Desert interview covers hacking, guild houses, and awakening schedule - YouTuber PvtWiggles has a new interview with Black Desert's Project Manager that sheds new light on some of the features coming in the Valencia update and beyond. Daum's Balzasar says…
Black Desert Online posts a siege manual ahead of the June 15th siege launch - The current lack of siege warfare in Black Desert Online is good news for people who don't like having random jerks besieging their structures and bad news for random jerks…
Massively Overthinking: 2016’s MMORPG zeitgeist - A few weeks ago, Massively OP's Eliot Lefebvre wondered aloud about which MMO has had the best year so far. For this week's Overthinking, I'd like to expand that a bit and…
Black Desert warns cheaters they’ll be banned in ‘waves’ - In response to the growing perception that Black Desert is being overrun with cheaters, botters, and hackers, Daum has reiterated its commitment to cleaning up the game of such miscreants.…
The Stream Team: Beckoned by Black Desert’s black wisp - That freaky little black wisp keeps whispering to MassivelyOP's MJ trying to get her to do things in Black Desert. The scary thing is this time she's going to listen!…
Desert Nomad: Immersion, atmosphere, and roleplaying in Black Desert - Hello friends, and welcome back to Desert Nomad, your more or less biweekly source of ramblings that are almost guaranteed to be at least tangentially related to Black Desert. As…
Black Desert’s karma patch has enraged the PvP community - Black Desert has a small patch out today, bringing to an end Mother's Day events and extending both the Rum and Black Stone events. There's a respectably sized cash shop…
Black Desert delays planned June 1 Valencia launch - Daum has just announced that it's delaying Black Desert's Valencia update, which was originally scheduled for June 1st. Technical issues and security goals are to blame: "We are very sorry…
Analyst argues game devs are abandoning free-to-play in some genres - Red Fox Insights analyst Jake Parmley has another piece on Gamasutra this week, this one arguing that video game developers are "backing away from free-to-play" -- and why. Parmley suggests…
Don’t hold your breath for Black Desert’s class awakening system - In response to a lengthy (and apparently frequently posted) player complaint thread about class balance and the pace of class awakening delivery, Black Desert's western arm, Daum EU, has issued a…
Massively Overthinking: Playing the game of timers in MMOs - Massively OP reader The Chief Turtle recently sent us a question that I think ties in neatly to the daily quests Overthinking we discussed a few weeks ago. What happens to dailies…
The Stream Team: Bebopping about Black Desert - When MassivelyOP's MJ goes off the beaten path, you never know what she will run into. Last time, she found some overrun ruins and picked up a random sheep! She's…
Desert Nomad: The misplaced individuality of Black Desert - Hello, friends, and welcome back at long last to another installment of Desert Nomad. I'm very sorry to have kept you all waiting during my impromptu sabbatical, and if it's…
Black Desert expands world and PvP with Valencia, refuses costume alteration refunds - Black Desert is getting a massive update on June 1st when the first chunk of the Valencia update is launched. According to Daum, Valencia will include "hundreds" of new quests,…
Black Desert gets a little patch and a big weekend compensation event - A spate of restarts across the servers in the last few days have prompted Black Desert studio Daum to grant players a 30% bonus experience weekend beginning today. https://twitter.com/BDO_News/status/731146732344610816 Earlier…
Black Desert Korea pubs Plum/Maehwa awakening trailer - Black Desert fans in Korea are due for a treat this week: Their Plum class -- better known as the Maehwa here -- is due for an awakening update. The…
The Stream Team: Hotfooting it to Heidel and giving away Black Desert codes - With so much to do in even the starter towns of Black Desert, MassivelyOP's MJ hasn't really ventured beyond Velia yet. But even though her quest log is stuffed with…
Massively Overthinking: The sandbox MMORPG disconnect - This week's Massively Overthinking was inspired by a reader who decided to go by Sandboxless in Seattle when he penned this note of frustration to us. [prspeak]I have been playing MMOs for…
Black Desert’s second Mediah update brings new pirate events, cash shop buyables - Mediah part two launches in Black Desert today, bringing with it several class fixes, monster adjustments, the temporary removal of specific North American channels, and a ridiculous number of new…
Black Desert’s most common hacking tool appears to be bundled with a keylogger - Vigilante justice rarely works out in the long run. Delivering pain to match pain just creates an unceasing, spiraling cycle. But with all of that philosophy said, it's hard not…
Battle Bards Episode 74: Black Desert Online - This eastern sandbox import has many people playing and talking about it, but are they listening to Black Desert Online? The Battle Bards are, naturally, and in this conversation-packed episode,…
Here’s the Black Desert commercial that’s sweeping the airwaves - It's not every day that an MMO gets enough popularity and promotion to warrant a TV spot, so you'd be forgiven if you did a double-take at seeing Black Desert…
Black Desert compensation horses trot out May 6th - A horse is a horse (of course, of course), unless your horse was part of the Black Desert pre-order equine controversy. Then it wasn't the horse you thought you had…
Black Desert turns to its playerbase to hunt down cheaters for prizes - Daum EU is asking for help cracking down on cheating in Black Desert -- from you. "We invite each of you to join us in the Hacker Hunting Initiative as…
Who wants a Black Desert guest key from Daum and MOP? [All gone!] - Have you been standing on the sidelines of Black Desert since its launch, unwilling to shell out for a box but still curious about how it plays? Good news for you:…
Black Desert: Business model research, Daum addresses hacking complaints - Red Fox Insights analyst Jake Parmley has a piece on Gamasutra today about Black Desert's business model that confirms what you might already suspect: People invested enough in the game…
Black Desert’s roadmap for future content - Everyone's curious: What's going to come next for the hit sandbox Black Desert? DualShockers has a new interview out with Daum Project Manager Daniel Loehr that might answer part of…
Black Desert addresses pre-order horse controversy - For want of a tier 5 horse, a kingdom was lost -- or so the saying goes. Some Black Desert players are quite upset that Daum apparently pulled a bait-and-switch…
The Stream Team: For the love of Black Desert levels - There are certainly plenty of things to do in Black Desert, and MassivelyOP's MJ hasn't felt any particular rush through content as she meanders about doing her own thing. However,…
The Stream Team: Showing off Black Desert’s new Maehwa class - MassivelyOP's MJ had some specific plans for Black Desert today, but those were all thrown right out the window with the release of the two new classes! She's always needed…
Black Desert’s Musa and Maehwa class have arrived - If your enjoyment of a game hinges upon how many different classes you can choose between, Black Desert is getting just a bit more enjoyable today with the addition of…
Black Desert’s Korean version previews the Musa’s awakening - The Musa isn't yet here for North American Black Desert players, but you can still look forward to the awakening for the class. Korean players will soon get to play…
Free Black Desert character slots for all! - True agony is having to choose which character to delete in Black Desert when the new Musa and Maehwa classes come out because you've already used all of your slots.…
Black Desert deploys minor patch for pets, battlegrounds, and bugs - Easter is over for Black Desert. The servers returned earlier this morning with a weekly patch ending the Easter events, though related NPC quests remain for another week for you…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 60: Nostalrius down - Justin and Bree discuss Nostalrius, TERA, Black Desert, SWTOR, DDO, Guild Wars 2, and WoW, with mailbag questions on Kickstarters and Tabula Rasa.
The Musa and Maehwa class pair joins Black Desert on April 20 - Daum EU has just announced a new class pair will join the Black Desert sandbox next week: The Musa and Maehwa. You might recognize them as the Blader and Plum…
Jukebox Heroes: Six MMO tunes for a starry night - I am in love with the night. No, I'm not an emo vampire or Batman (although...); I've just always appreciated the quiet and peacefulness of a night scene, not to…
Black Desert is patching in auto-path looping right now - Hope you voted yes on the auto-path looping feature that Black Desert put to player vote on Monday! The poll closed with over 83% of the vote in favor of the feature, and it's…
Massively Overthinking: Grouping, kill-stealing, and open PvP in MMORPGs - This week's Massively Overthinking topic arrived in our inboxes from longtime reader Leiloni. It's a timely one all about newly launched Tree of Savior -- and one of its more irritating old-school…
TERA interim CEO: ‘TERA and En Masse aren’t going anywhere’ - [AL:TERA]En Masse Interim CEO Sam Kim participated in a Reddit AMA for TERA players today, ostensibly to calm nerves after the company announced a round of layoffs and downsizing earlier…
The Stream Team: Sailing in Black Desert - Don't let the name fool you: There are plenty of water adventures to be had in Black Desert! This sandbox offers fishing, sailing, and general oceanic exploration now, with even…
Black Desert says new classes, karma tweaks are on the way - Are you part of the horde of gamers who are enjoying the sandbox goodness of Black Desert these days? If so, you probably have many questions about the game and…
Daum EU confirms Black Desert figures: 400K Western sales, $12M revenue in first month - In a piece published earlier today, MMO Culture claimed a number of Black Desert statistics gleaned from last week's Daum Korea press conference: 400,000 US/EU purchasers in the first month…
Black Desert puts auto-path looping to player vote - Burke's Law: Never ask a question unless you already know the answer. That's a rule Daum hopefully knows already, else it might not have asked the entire Black Desert community…
Black Desert Korea promises playable dark elves, ocean content - We got much more out of last week's Daum interviews and press conferences than major release dates for the next class pairs and Awakening/Valencia updates over here in the west.…
April Fools’ Day around the MMOverse, 2016 edition - Happy April Fools' Day, and remember not to believe anything you read on the internet today! We're stepping outside of our own BuzzFeed-headline prank for a moment to deliver a…
The Stream Team: Black Desert’s welcome wagon - Trading on foot in Black Desert builds your strength, but it sure takes a long time to earn cash. When you start using a donkey, you can transport five times…
Desert Nomad: Avoiding overload in Black Desert - Hello, fellow Black Desert wanderers, and welcome back to another week’s installment of Desert Nomad. If you’ve been reading the column regularly, you may have noticed that the last couple…
Black Desert’s Mediah update is live today; so is the Cherry Blossom event - As promised, Black Desert's Mediah expansion goes live today, and the patch notes are up on the official forums. There are new buyables in the cash shop, and a Cherry Blossom Event…
Black Desert’s Mediah expansion launches tomorrow; catch the new trailer - Daum EU announced today via a new Black Desert trailer that the promised upcoming content update, Mediah, is on the way. Soon. As in this week soon. As in tomorrow. Ahhh!…
Massively Overthinking: The best newbie systems in MMORPGs - One thing I've realized from my time in Black Desert so far is than even for a die-hard sandbox fan, the introduction is pretty overwhelming. I can see how some…
The Stream Team: Beyond Black Desert’s Velia - MassivelyOP's MJ is finally settling in to Black Desert -- or so she thought. She's set up some trade routes and has been hauling goods about the area, been harvesting…
Black Desert’s craftable ghillie suit counter will be craftable ‘soon’ - We posted yesterday on Black Desert's maintenance and patch, but since that time we've gotten a little bit more information on what's in the patch. Two lines in those notes…
Black Desert is altering the ‘shitstorm matrix’ compensation deal - If you have yet to receive the compensation outlined in Black Desert's "shitstorm matrix" posted earlier this month, you should know that Daum EU has a new plan for you.…
Desert Nomad: Quality of life in the Black Desert - Hello friends, and welcome back to Desert Nomad. After last week’s in-depth look at Black Desert’s cash shop, I decided that this week I would continue the trend of demonstrating how…
Black Desert hints at a big content update this month - There's no denying that Black Desert is hot, hot, hot right now in the MMO community, and for players enjoying that sandbox, there's probably a desire to know what is…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 56: Ghillie nation - Justin and Bree discuss Black Desert, Marvel Heroes, The Division, VR, Landmark, Crowfall, EVE, and Tree of Savior, with mailbag questions on pay-to-win and Black Desert hype.
Black Desert is Awakening the Valkyrie in Korea - Black Desert has only recently launched here, but it's been out for a little while in its native Korea and it's getting regular updates. Its newest update preview highlights the…
Black Desert is working on ghillie suit countermeasures - Community Q&A sessions are pretty popular these days, but usually they involve developers selecting questions and parceling the answers out accordingly. This Black Desert interview turns that format on its…
Black Desert Online is hosting a Saint Patrick’s Day event - There aren't a large number of MMOs that celebrate Saint Patrick's Day, probably because it's easier to come up with vague lore-appropriate reasons to exchange presents or decorate pumpkins than…
Desert Nomad: Diving deep into Black Desert’s cash shop - Hello, friends, and welcome back to Desert Nomad. This week, I'd like to take the opportunity to talk about a subject that has been the focus of much debate in…
Black Desert players are up in arms over the P2W Ghillie Suit - There's some controversy in the Black Desert community about an item that you can buy offering a serious advantage, and yes, it's the Ghillie Suit. You knew it was going…
The Stream Team: A Pi Day quest for Black Desert pie - How would you celebrate Pi Day? And not just any regular Pi Day, but a once-in-a-century Rounded Pi Day? MassivelyOP's MJ is going to by hunting down pie in Black…
The Stream Team: The makings of a Black Desert merchant - One of the aspects of Black Desert that MassivelyOP's MJ has been looking forward to the most is trade; she's always preferred waging economic warfare in games as opposed to actual…
Black Desert attempts to ‘suppress’ gold selling market - "Due to the increased 'goldseller' population, we are beginning to put systems in place to suppress their market." These words come from the Black Desert Online team, which this morning deployed…
Desert Nomad: How to win friends and influence NPCs in Black Desert - Welcome back, fellow Desert Nomads. I don't know about y'all, but since last week's column (and the official launch of Black Desert), I've spent almost every last iota of my…
Black Desert impressions from around the MMO blogosphere - When a new game comes out, you can play it cautious by waiting for reviews or you can roll the dice and take your chances by leaping in right as…
Black Desert Korea’s new bosses pack a powerful punch - In answer to player requests for more challenging content, devs added a new boss system to Black Desert in Korea. The bosses actually stayed the same except for getting an…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 54: Something fishy is afoot - Justin and Bree discuss Black Desert, Path of Exile, Guild Wars 2, No Man's Sky, World of Fishing, and AdventureQuest 3D, with a mailbag question on broken dev promises.
Black Desert is increasing its server capacity - If you're having a hard time logging into or playing Black Desert Online, then take heart: The team is working on increasing server capacity in the near future. While the…
Black Desert drops a minor patch for class balancing - The wait is over for everyone, Black Desert is out and playable, and if you've been looking forward to the game but still aren't playing it... well, that's really on…
The Stream Team: Raising a Black Desert black smoke buddy - Can that creepy little Black Desert black smoke buddy actually get creepier? Yes, yes it can, as MassivelyOP's MJ recently learned. She was just questing along, humoring the freaky little puff,…
Black Desert’s western launch arrives with new trailer - Welcome to Black Desert's official North American and European launch day! The servers are down right now for maintenance before the big rush, but we've got the launch trailer and…
Desert Nomad: The Nomad’s guide to Black Desert - Hello friends, and welcome to a new installment of Choose My Adv-- HA HA, PSYCH! This puppet's strings have been cut, suckers! No longer will I take your orders, blindly…
Black Desert details headstart compensation plan with ‘shitstorm matrix’ - Black Desert has elaborated on the compensation and support it will offer players in the wake of its headstart issues: "We all know that every game launch is bound to have…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 53: The MMOs of winter 2016 - Justin, Bree, and Matt discuss Blade & Soul, The Division, Black Desert, WildStar, Final Fantasy XIV, and a mailbag question on Destiny 2.
The Stream Team: Launching into Black Desert for real - The time has finally come: Black Desert has launched. At least the head start has. That means anything MassivelyOP's MJ does from here on out counts! But what shall she…
Daum compensates Black Desert players for headstart server mixup - A goof-up on the Black Desert headstart servers over the weekend saw some North American players unintentionally placed on the wrong servers, and Daum decided not to move them. "[U]nfortunately…
Leaderboard: What do you think of Black Desert so far? - Headstart for Black Desert's began this morning, at least if you preordered. Are you watching from the sidelines or already lost to the grind? If you're in and enjoying the experience (or did so in…
Black Desert opens new servers before headstart - Daum has posted its very last dev diary and notes before the launch of Black Desert's head start. The big news is that the studio is adding an additional pair of…
Leaderboard: Which Black Desert server will you be calling home? - Massively OP reader Xijit thought it would be a grand idea to try to coordinate our community's Black Desert servers, and we agree! Let's do it: According to Reddit, Edan…
Black Desert preorders close, headstart preload begins tomorrow - Who's ready for Black Desert? Daum reminds players today that preload for the headstart begins tomorrow, and the client is patchable for those who participated in the second closed beta.
Black Desert’s devs on gender-locking, future plans - If you're hoping for every gender-locked class in Black Desert to have an equivalent for the other gender, the bad news for you is that that's not among the future…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 52: Horror sloth! - Justin and Bree discuss Black Desert 's cash shop, H1Z1, Guild Wars 2, ArcheAge's laundry, Devilian, Grim Dawn, FFXIV, and TSW, with mailbag questions on voiceover localization.
Black Desert plans special events for the game’s launch - The final beta test for Black Desert recedes into the horizon, but that's all right; there are only a few more days before the title launches for real on March…
Leaderboard: Are you up in arms over Black Desert’s cash shop? - Since the Black Desert beta opened up, the cash shop has been at the center of a gathering storm. While the game is ostensibly a buy-to-play MMO with an upfront…
The Stream Team: Back in another Black Desert closed beta - Last time in Black Desert's CB1, MassivelyOP's MJ tried to race through the extensive character creation (a feat in itself!) in order to have time to check out gamplay. This…
Black Desert’s second closed beta is live now - The second closed beta for Black Desert has kicked off. You could be playing the game right now. It's not quite the same game you recall from the last closed…
Black Desert gears up for its final closed beta test - The release date for Black Desert grows ever closer, and that means that its final round in beta is just about here. The final test period begins on February 18th…
Daum posts Black Desert’s Tamer Awakening video - Raise your hand if you've been fiddling about with Black Desert's stand-alone character creator in anticipation for the game's western release on March 3rd. Now prepared to be really sad,…
Reserve your Black Desert character names today ahead of beta 2 - Black Desert's name reservation period opens this afternoon at 1 p.m. EST as promised. Pre-order players can swing over to the name reservation website this afternoon, log in, and claim…
Black Desert pre-order name registration begins Tuesday - Black Desert has just announced that it will be opening name reservations to pre-order players beginning at 1 p.m. EST on Tuesday, February 9th. Pre-orders remain open until February 26th.…
Black Desert Korea reveals Blader awakening weapons - We may be anticipating the western release of Black Desert, but the version back home in Korea marches on with fresh content. Daum's most recent post on the game's Korean site…
Black Desert launches in the west on March 3rd - Daum has just announced that Korean sandbox Black Desert is arriving in the west sooner than you might've thought.
Black Desert’s Beauty and the Beast character screenshot contest has begun - The "Beast" part of Black Desert's Beauty and the Beast contest officially kicked off this morning. Daum invites future players to download the game's character creator, create a character, take…
Here’s what you can do with the Black Desert character creator - Yesterday's release of the standalone character creator for Black Desert has prompted the internet to play dress-up dolls en masse, some in the service of winning the ongoing contest and possibly…
Black Desert’s character creator tool available; CBT2 begins February 18 - If you're most interested in when you can get back into playing Black Desert Online again, the answer is on February 18th. It's just that straightforward. Don't trust us, trust…
Black Desert explains how both of its cash shops will work - Black Desert rep Belsazar has posted a lengthy missive from the Pearl Abyss developers explaining the details of the game's cash shop and announcing that the date for closed beta…
Black Desert’s Ranger is gorgeous and deadly in melee - Daum Games has this afternoon released a trailer and info for Black Desert's Ranger -- specifically, the Ranger's melee skills. The Ranger's ranged skills have already been established; in melee,…
Black Desert makes the world boss Desert Dragon even more boss - The Desert Dragon world boss in Black Desert was indisputably exactly what it said on the tin. It was a dragon, and it was in a desert. It was even…
Black Desert is keeping energy potions out of the cash shop - The first Black Desert beta test has happened, and the developers are taking in feedback and making changes. What does that mean? Well... change, obviously. The first set of changes…
Should you play Black Desert or Blade & Soul? - Just the other day we were discussing in the office the differences between Black Desert and Blade & Soul, and I said that I desperately needed a comparison chart to…
First impressions of Black Desert’s closed beta test, part two: Crafting, gathering, and economy - On Friday, I took a look at the classes, combat, and tricky mechanics of upcoming sandboxy Korean-import Black Desert's first western closed beta test. Today, I'll pick up where I…
First impressions of Black Desert’s closed beta test: Classes, combat, and mechanics - Over the course of my first day in Black Desert, I did a lot of the things you'd expect from the first day in a new MMO: I killed some…
Perfect Ten: The MMORPGs to watch in 2016 - A long time ago on another website far, far away, I held a tradition of kicking off the new year by listing the top 10 MMOs that deserved attention and…
Take a tour of the new dungeons in Black Desert’s newest Korean update - There's no official release date in the US for Black Desert just yet. But it is coming, and that means that there's all the more reason to be deeply interested…
Black Desert Online gets the second half of Valencia in Korea - The testing for Black Desert has only just begun over on western shores, but players in its native Korea have been enjoying the game for some time now. Another update…
The Stream Team: Inside Black Desert’s closed beta - We've been hearing about Black Desert for quite a while now, but what's it really like? Today's your chance to find out! MassivelyOP's MJ has pried open the closed beta…
Black Desert’s first English closed beta starts today - The advent of Black Desert's first English-language closed beta test does not mean that the wait for the game is nearly over, since the testing process will take some time.…
Sign up for Black Desert’s closed beta, if you want - Want to play Black Desert's closed beta? Well, you could pre-order. But that would be insane, and you're not insane, right? Good, I didn't think so. Aside from pre-ordering, you…
Black Desert Korea adds bounty hunting and jail - With Black Desert on its way to the west in 2016, it's not a bad idea to be giving more attention to what's happening with the Korean version, as we'll…
Black Desert gets a Tamer, darker nights, and lanterns with oil - Daum posted a project manager diary on the Black Desert forum yesterday announcing that the Tamer class will not only be playable at launch but be available in the closed beta that is currently…
Black Desert answers questions on localization and release - There is no way in the world to know when the second closed beta for a localized Black Desert will take place, although the first is planned for December. Why…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 39: Giving thanks - Justin and Bree discuss Black Desert, Blade & Soul, SWTOR nerfs, Funcom, and gratitude, plus mailbag questions on other podcasts, the quest for sandboxes, F2P restrictions, and custom races.
Black Desert is now available for pre-order - After an accidental peek at its store page earlier this month, Black Desert now has the full, correct, and permanent page up for pre-orders. The pre-order packages for the fantasy sandbox…
Black Desert’s Sorceress gets a scythe weapon awakening - Black Desert's Sorceress is getting some love this week, thanks a new face template work-in-progress that was appropriately posted to the game's Facebook page. The Sorceress' weapon awakening was also…
Massively Overthinking: Is IP-blocking in online games a necessary evil? - This past week, news about Black Desert's IP blocking has reminded me once again how IP-blocking, region-locking, and the resulting isolated MMO communities are becoming far too normal and making…
Black Desert confirms regional IP blocking - Bad news for those hoping that Daum Games would see the light and keep Black Desert's borders open to all nations: The publisher will indeed be slapping IP blocks on…
Black Desert fans push against possible IP blocking [Updated] - Some Black Desert fans are concerned that the game appears to be headed for a heaping pile of regional IP blocking in the near future and have started a Change.org…
Black Desert’s North American website and forums launch - Black Desert's English-language website has just gone live. It's a bit bare right now, though Daum is hyping videos from Paris Games Week. The site includes user registration and newsletter…
Black Desert will start selling pre-orders soon but won’t be having an open beta - While more closed beta tests will be coming before Black Desert's western launch early next year, Daum Games said that it will not be hosting an open beta. In an…
Black Desert gets a new action trailer and some other videos - Does Black Desert's combat make you dizzy? Me neither, but I've heard some people say that, so I had to ask. In any case, there's a new action trailer on…
Black Desert slides into alpha testing - What's the next hot MMO import? For many it's the luscious Black Desert, which will be coming out in the west early next year. But for a lucky few, their…
Leaderboard: Are you worried about the westernization of Black Desert? - I've been looking forward to Black Desert for quite a long while. Sure, the B2P-with-an-item-mall business model dampens my enthusiasm, but I'm still keen on exploring the game's open world and…
Someone camped Black Desert’s Harpy Queen boss for 10 hours to bring you this vid - Steparu camped a Black Desert world boss for 10 hours so that he could record a gameplay video of it, and the results have been posted on his website for…
Black Desert to debut its demo at Paris Games Week - The western world is about to get its first hands-on experience with the gorgeous Black Desert. The fantasy MMO will be debuting its public demo on October 28th at Paris…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 34: Rollbacks and breakups - Justin and Bree discuss SWTOR, WildStar, GW2, RuneScape, Marvel Heroes, Black Desert, Nexon/NCsoft, WoW, and Wakfu, with mailbag questions on expansion pricing and horizontal gameplay.
Here’s how to increase your chances of getting into Black Desert’s alpha - With Black Desert coming to both North America and Europe next year, getting into the test just became one of the hottest -- and most exclusive -- tickets in town. While…
Black Desert’s Warrior awakens with a greatsword next week - Last month Pearl Abyss announced the Awakening system for Black Desert, which is basically a weapon-swapping mechanic that allows traditional sword-and-board classes like the Warrior to instead wield a greatsword…
Black Desert Online confirms early 2016 launch with buy-to-play model - The race for 2016 is officially on. Daum Games confirmed this week that Black Desert Online will be coming out in North America and Europe in early 2016. This Black Desert will be…
Take a look at the gameplay of Black Desert’s Witch - There's still no hard information on when Black Desert is coming westward, although the game is currently in open beta in Russia and it will be coming over here at…
Black Desert’s Russian beta starts October 12 - Can you read Russian? Me neither, but I can read Reddit as well as the big date on the top of Black Desert's Russian website. Apparently the fantasy title is…
Black Desert teases the awakening weapon system - Weapon choice, or lack thereof, is one MMO topic that doesn't seem to come up very much. Some games allow players to select from a wide range, while others pair…
You can have a heat stroke in Black Desert’s desert - Did you know that Black Desert features a heat stroke DoT? Apparently it does, as Steparu had to chug a few health potions while exploring one of the fantasy sandbox's…
Black Desert’s Ninja gets a new trailer - Earlier this week we heard about Black Desert's new Ninja class. Today, developer Pearl Abyss and publisher Daum have released a new trailer for the fantasy sandbox's 12th playable class.…
Black Desert’s getting a Ninja and class weapon swapping - Black Desert is getting a Ninja class on its South Korean server before the month is out. MMO Culture reports that the new archetype is basically an MMO assassin, with…
This is how you leave Black Desert feedback - If you've ever thought about leaving useful beta feedback for the developers of an MMO that you care about, Black Desert fan Kinto has provided you with a decent blueprint.…
This Russian Black Desert trailer is worryingly appealing - I should have learned my lesson after the debacle that was ArcheAge, but a part of me is still somewhat excited to play the western version of Black Desert. Trailers like…
Black Desert’s western community manager is interviewed, doesn’t say much - Are you interested in Black Desert? If so, a new interview with the game's western community manager might be worth a read. Or it might not be, if you want anything…
Black Desert releases the Kunoichi class - If you're a fan of sneaking past enemies before exploding out of stealth with throat-stabbing fervor, you might be the ideal player for Black Desert's newest class, the Kunoichi. The…
Black Desert publisher opens European office in Amsterdam - So when does the rest of the world get to try out Black Desert? We don't know. But that day seems to be getting closer, as the game's publisher Daum…
Videos offer impressions of Black Desert’s new Valencia region - While fans in the North American market can't jump in check out Black Desert's latest update (the game needs to launch here first!), they can experience it vicariously though videos…
MMO Burnout: Why I want an Assassin’s Creed MMO - I play a fair amount of single-player stuff when I'm not playing MMOs, and at the risk of outing myself as one of those infernal dudebros, I love the Assassin's…
Black Desert gets a major update on July 23rd - Would you like to have a large patch to the nascent Black Desert? "No," you said, "I'd like to have an idea about when and if it's coming out in…
Black Desert video review rips MMO beta as a ‘shallow game’ - When it comes to MMO betas, don't you usually want to cut through the hype and hysteria to get at the truth of whether or not the game is, y'know,…
Check out all of Black Desert’s costumes - If you're like me, then one of the first questions you have for any new MMO isn't what classes or systems it offers but how good you can look while…
Here are a whole bunch of Black Desert gameplay vids with an English patch - Reddit user asciisyaez has posted a plethora of Black Desert gameplay videos. The footage was captured on the fantasy sandbox's Korean beta servers, but it makes use of an English…
Black Desert launching in Korea on July 14 - The gorgeous fantasy sandbox Black Desert will be launching in about a month -- in Korea, that is. The game posted a notice on the official site stating that it's…
Black Desert’s Korean beta servers will be merged into one this month - Black Desert is exiting its Korean open beta this month. Developer Pearl Abyss and publisher Daum will be merging all the game's servers into a single megashard "and perhaps a…
Gandalf kicks ass in new Black Desert trailer - Still keeping an eye on hyperrealistic sandbox Black Desert? Last night Daum posted a new trailer for the MMO, this one focusing on the Wizard and Witch classes, which apparently…
Here’s a look at the latest Black Desert open world boss battle - Want to see the newest Black Desert boss battle? Head to Steparu's site, as he's got video clips and screenshots of the new creature that lives inside Serendia Temple (an open…
Black Desert enters Japanese open beta, gets live-action trailer - What do live-action sword-wielding Japanese schoolgirls have to do with Black Desert? Hell if I know, but they're front and center in a new promotional trailer for the sandbox MMO…
See Black Desert’s Plum Flower fighter in action - She's fast, she's furious, and she will cut you to ribbons if you're standing in her way. She's the Plum Flower, the female version of Black Desert's Blader class. Wielding…
Is Black Desert changing its tune on gender-locking? - Is Black Desert developer Pearl Abyss having second thoughts about gender-locking the fantasy sandbox's character classes? Maybe so, if a recent fan even in the game's native Korea is any…
Black Desert adjusts for ‘casual lite’ Korean market - Every game changes during testing, but Black Desert seems to have changed even more significantly compared to its original vision from the fan standpoint. One such fan recently penned an article…
Black Desert demos its new Valkyrie class - Eager to take a look at the newest class being added to Black Desert? The fine folks at Steparu have posted a trailer demonstrating the class in action against random…
Black Desert’s new class is a Valkyrie Shield Maiden - Black Desert's Korean beta test is getting a new class this month, according to a translation at Steparu. The fantasy sandbox is scheduled to receive "three big updates" before the…
Black Desert fans are troubled about game changes - When the primary beta process for an upcoming MMO is taking place in another region and language, it's often difficult to understand how the game is shaping up. One Black…
Here’s how to hunt whales in Black Desert - Would you like to hunt whales in Black Desert? No, not the big cash shop spenders, but actual whales in the ocean and stuff. Apparently you can, as shown in…
Black Desert celebrates 100-day beta mark - To rub it in to everyone else in the world, it is our duty to announce that Korean beta testers have been enjoying Black Desert for 100 days now. The…
New Valkyrie class is coming to Black Desert - Korean publisher Daum has announced that fantasy sandbox Black Desert will be getting a seventh playable class, which is "scheduled to be released or previewed in April," according to Steparu and…
Here’s what a Black Desert raid boss looks like - If you've got a spare 20 minutes and an urge to see a Black Desert raid boss go down, Steparu's got a new video for you. Unfortunately he terms the…
Black Desert reveals the Blader class - Black Desert just got a new class called the Blader, which Steparu describes as the "fastest playable character" in the game. Bladers wield a sword -- duh -- as well…
Black Desert makes $2M in cash shop sales in one week - Wait, what did that headline say? Did Black Desert really make a cool two million in just a week? Apparently so! According to FreeMMOStation.com, the Korean fantasy title made 2.3…
